Ms. Marvel is a groundbreaking addition to the MCU. In addition to being a coming-of-age story, it touches on colonialism and The Great Partition. Kamala Khan is a wide-eyed high school girl with unusual problems. In addition to discovering her powers, Kamala has a number of relatable problems, including disagreements with her parents and innocent crushes.
Though the titular character is central to Ms. Marvel, the story is not the same without her family, friends and adversaries. Ms. Marvel has a memorable cast who make a great impression. The actors are a welcome addition to the MCU and helped make Ms. Marvel a must-watch series.
10 Azhar Usman Has Fans In Stitches As Najaf
Azhar Usman is an absolute riot in Ms.Marvel. His role as Najaf, the owner of a halal food truck may only appear a few times, but Usman's perfect line delivery made him a stand-out character. Najaf is an apt commentator on gentrification with his observation on "flying vultures in Armani suits buying up the whole neighborhood" feeding into one of the major themes of Ms. Marvel.
In the same breath, Najaf is proven to be an excellent negotiator. First with Kamala about his Halal Guys’ competitors and extra sauce then with Nakia about sole catering for the Mosque Council. Usman is skillful in portraying Najaf as both a humorous, shrewd businessman and a concerned citizen.
9 Mehwish Hayat's Aisha Is Authentic
Kamala Khan’s great-grandmother, Aisha, has an otherworldly connection to her. Though Aisha’s story starts off as a family legend, it ends up being real. Though her time on the show is limited, Aisha is shown to be a capable leader, a sarcastic rebel, and a doting wife.
Mehwish Hayat does a good job conveying the panic in Pakistan during the Great Partition. This is no small feat as there is not a lot of time for her to do so. Aisha’s authenticity as a ‘Djinn’, mother, and wife shines through thanks to Hayat.
8 Fans Love To Hate Alysia Reiner As Agent Deever
Agent Deever of the Department of Damage Control is the villain fans love to hate. Alysia Reiner effortlessly embodies the role. Her facial expressions and body language are convincing, and she sells the idea that Deever has no respect for the Muslim community of Jersey City.
Agent Deever remains unlikable thanks to Reiner’s acting abilities. When she disobeys orders about attacking children, fans know she believes she is right, even though she is clearly wrong. This makes it easy for viewers to root against her, and Alysia Reiner’s handling of the character makes it fun to see her lose.
7 Saagar Shaikh Makes Aamir Khan His Own
Live-action Aamir is definitely a nicer person than his comic book counterpart. On Ms. Marvel, he is portrayed as a big brother who likes to tease his little sister, but is also willing to put his life on the line to help her. Actor Saagar Shaikh proves to be up to the task of portraying him.
In addition to being a loving brother to Kamala, Shaikh is able to be a loving partner to Tyesha, a dutiful son, and struggling grad student. While Shaikh could have played Aamir as something of a bully, he instead fills the character with love and joy, making him an instant fan favorite.
6 Mohan Kapur And Yusuf Khan Are One And The Same
Kamala’s father Yusuf is a family man and dotes on his daughter. Yusuf is ready to make jokes at his family’s expense like “Aamir, if you don't stop praying long enough to put some food in our mouth, one day you will starve to death”. Though this is a line originally from the comic, actor Mohan Kapur makes it his own.
Unlike his wife, Yusuf had a fairly conventional upbringing so this reflects in his relationship with his children. Shroff and Kapur play off each other perfectly, which helps bring the familial part of Ms. Marvel to life.
5 Zenobia Shroff Makes A Formidable Muneeba Khan
Muneeba Khan is Kamala’s mother and a force to be reckoned with. Muneeba is a conservative woman who is ashamed of her mother’s unconventional behavior and hides her own rebellious teenage years from her children. All of this impacts her relationship with Kamala. Her belief that non-conformity makes things harder for women is shown in her mannerisms.
Versatile Zenobia Shroff excellently plays Muneeba, taking a character that could be seen as overbearing and making her sympathetic and kind. Shroff has a nuanced approach to her interactions with each character on the show, which make them more authentic.
4 Travina Springer Makes A Great Impression As Tyesha Hillman
Travina Springer portrays Tyesha Hillman, Aamir's wife and Kamala’s lovable sister-in-law. Springer is only in a few scenes, but her talent makes them memorable. Springer has great chemistry with Saagar Shaikh, so their romance is believable.
Springer conveys certain emotions without saying a single word. For example, she realizes that Kamran is not Kamala’s cousin while Aamir remains unaware. And while Tyesha’s vows at her wedding are sappy yet funny, Springer is able to perfectly toe the line between the two styles. Travina Springer succeeds in making Tyesha Hillman a fully fleshed out character who fans hope to see more of soon.
3 Iman Vellani Was Born To Play Kamala Khan
The titular character, Ms. Marvel is more commonly known as Kamala Khan to her family and friends. She is an excellent addition to the MCU, largely due to Iman Vellani’s superb acting abilities. Kamala is an endearing, awkward teenager who is a Pakistani-American high school student, and Vellani seamlessly moves between being a teenager bending under parental expectations to inexperienced superhero.
Kamala’s rapport with her family is natural, and large part of that is due to Vellani's talent. The way Iman Vellani navigates Aamir’s wedding dance and quickly switches to fight mode with the ClanDestines is expertly done. It can be hard to believe that Ms. Marvel is Vellani's first role. Her comedic timing and chemistry with all the characters she interacts with is on par with seasoned professionals.
2 Nimra Bucha's Najma Garners Sympathy
Najma is arguably the most complicated character in Ms. Marvel, and Nimra Bucha succeeds in confusing fans about how they feel about her. Najma goes from being Kamala’s understanding ‘auntie’ to a murderer in a split second. It is difficult to reconcile the sweet mother of Kamran and wrongfully exiled ClanDestine with the cold-blooded killer she is revealed to be.
Bucha’s splendid performance makes fans find excuses for Najma’s erratic behavior. She does things for the good of others. First for the ClanDestine with the murder of Aisha, then for the preservation of Earth. Najma’s sacrifice at the end is emotionally impactful. This is because of Bucha’s strong connection with the audience.
1 Yasmeen Fletcher's Talent Shines Through As Nakia Bahadir
Yasmeen Fletcher is splendid as Nakia, and she absolutely nails her role. She effortlessly banters with Bruno and Kamala. Alone with Kamala, Nakia is also an impassioned culturally aware friend. She discusses her unorthodox choice of being a hijabi (much to the confusion of her parents). This is coupled with the complexity of being multicultural and biracial.
Nakia is convincingly portrayed as the intentionally oblivious niece to garner sympathy from her uncle. This helps her gain his vote and become a member of the traditionally male council. Yasmeen Fletcher allows the audience to experience the spectrum of her dynamic personality. Though she does not have extended screen time, fans eagerly look forward to her scenes.