The latest Marvel series to hit Disney+, Ms. Marvel, has been the subject of several discussions, ranging from its place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the diversity it greatly adds to the beloved franchise and how well it is performing with audiences.
While the series did not initially perform well when it comes to viewership, Ms. Marvel has clearly won over the viewers it does have. According to the review aggregate, Rotten Tomatoes, critics overwhelmingly enjoy the show. It currently holds a critic score of 96 percent-- the highest score ever among Marvel shows. That very much includes its Disney+ predecessors, as well as shows such as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Agent Carter.
For comparison, WandaVision currently holds a score of 91 percent, What If...? Season 1 holds a critic score of 94 percent and Moon Knight holds a score of 87 percent. The closest a series has come to matching Ms. Marvel in critical reception is Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, which is not considered canon to the MCU, and holds a critic score of 95 percent.
The Disney+ show has reportedly become a great success among certain demographics, particularly young and diverse audiences. According to audience analytics company Samba TV, "Ms. Marvel is by far the most popular show among more diverse audiences, over-indexing among Black, Hispanic, and Asian households, according to our data. The show also resonated with a younger audience, as viewership over-indexed among Gen Z viewers aged 20-24."
Despite its successes thus far, Ms. Marvel does have its flaws. Muslim audiences raised concerns following the most recent episode after it was revealed Kamala Khan's powers may be a result of her heritage as a Djinn. The concern is that the practice of worshipping or idolizing Djinn is condemned in the Quran, as Muslims are forbidden to worship any figure besides Allah. While the plot development has seemingly turned off some audiences, others speculate this may not be the truth behind Kamala's powers and that future episodes will reveal the source of her powers to be something else.
Star Iman Vellani previously spoke about what it means to play the MCU's first Muslim superhero. In 2021, the actor said, "The fact that the show is being made and they’re including this character in the MCU is [what’s important]... I don’t really have to go out of my way and talk about being a Muslim and being Pakistani — it all comes out in the show. People seeing a person like me involved in a project as big as this is, I think, inspiring enough."
Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney+ with new episodes arriving every Wednesday.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes