Just one week away from its finale,Ms. Marvelseems to have forgotten the one thing that really made it stand out from theMCU’svast but repetitive catalog: those gorgeous comic book-inspired graphics that fit Kamala Khan’s teenage life so well. With that in mind, what’s left is perhaps Marvel’s most niche production, one that has consistently struggled to expand beyond its target audience since the very start.
Let’s face it,Ms. Marvelhas always had a tough hill to climb. It focuses on a relatively unknown Marvel superhero, possibly the most obscure in Phase Four, all without the added star power that Oscar Isaac brought toMoon Knight.It’s also constrained to a high school setting, which makes its themes harder to relate for those above the Gen Z age demographic. With the stellar visual style that almost made up for every one of the series' shortcomings all but gone, what’s left is aMs. Marvelthat’s far from the best MCUcontent Disney has to offer.
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WhyMs. Marvel’sLatest Episodes Feel So Different
It goes without saying that Kamala’s two-episode trip to Karachi, Pakistan abruptly changed the series. Although it certainly wasn’t for the worse, the time-travel shenanigans that Ms. Marvel has to take part in and the more serious tones that her family’s history requires don’t go hand in hand with the previous artistic flair. The first few episodes are all about diving into Kamala the daydreamer, a massive Marvel fangirl who even has her own YouTube channel, a world then torn down by the complications her superpowers bring to her life.
After all, another great thing aboutMs. Marvelis having the rare opportunity to see an MCU hero clumsily fail to save the day so many times, asKamala’s run-ins with the Clan Destineback in Jersey end up quite terribly. A direct consequence of this is that, once she lands in Pakistan, Ms. Marvel can’t simply be the exact same girl she was before, as these types of circumstances are what help construct proper character progression.
As part of that quick transition from regular teenager to superhero, Kamala has to leave behind her constant daydreaming. Even if there’s still room for a few texts to pop up here and there, Ms. Marvel can’t see the world with the same rose-tinted glasses as she did before. Add to thatthe latestMs. Marvelepisodebeing mostly focused on her great-grandmother’s death, and it’s no wonder these heartfelt moments don’t look like a comic book.
Suffice to say, the show’s transition to a more “grounded” visual landscape is quite justified, but taking almost a full break from her protagonist for one whole episode doesn’t seem right like the right move. This in itself is a good argument as towhy Ms. Marvel could have used more episodes. A different path could have adapted Kamala’s particular way of seeing her Marvel world even in the light of current events in her life, though the finale does still offer some room for improvements.
CanMs. MarvelDeliver A Fitting Finale?
Despite temporarily abandoningtheSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Versegraphicsthat made so many viewers take an instant liking toMs. Marvel, the series' last episode offers a great opportunity to rescue those artistic values. Sure, the story sets up everything for that to happen but even more so, the real world sees Belgian duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah return for directing duties in the season finale.
It was, after all, Adil and Bilall who came up with these visual flourishes in the first place for the pilot episode, yet that alone makes their influence on the show so important. Kamala’s comic book moments are some of the best in the series has to offer, due to how well it pays homage to the source material. The drastic change is so shocking precisely becauseMs. Marvel’ssudden text notifications gave it that teen culture vibe it shares withScott Pilgrim Vs. The World.
Considering its lackluster villains, and the fact that Kamran seems to be destined to turn on Kamala once she’s back in Jersey,Ms. Marvelreally needs to pull outall the stops for its closing chapter, especially as these tend to be the most visually impressive when it comes to Marvel CGI. Sure, Kamala is scheduled to appear inThe Marvelsand eventually meet her Avenger hero. However, given the relatively small threat that awaits her in the finale, it seems unlikelyMs. Marvelcan conjure up any epic cameos to help her cause or the show’s ratings.
WhatMs. Marveldoes in terms of Muslim representationin the MCU is great, but that’s simply not enough to carry the entire series. It’s precisely for that reason that Adil and Bilall gave Kamala so much more to work with. In the same way thatTaika Waititi uses humor inThor: Love and Thunderto tap into the character’s strengths,Ms. Marvelmust bring back the gorgeous art style it first introduced because it makes this New Jersey girl shine like no other superhero can.
