Ms. Marvel is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s newest and youngest hero on the block, and she’s got big shoes to fill. Pretty much every other character in the MCU heretofore has been an adult hero, with nary a kid sidekick around. There’s one notable exception, however, and Kamala Khan could narratively replace this hero.
From 2016 t0 2021, Spider-Man was the resident young rookie of the MCU, with all of the failures and mishaps that it entailed. In maturing past that role, he leaves the door open for Ms. Marvel to fill the void, as well as a whole new generation of kid heroes.
Spider-Man: No Way Home Finally Made MCU Peter Grow Up
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, and though Tom Holland himself was very well-received, the portrayal definitely had its critics. Spider-Man was essentially a kid sidekick for Iron Man, with Peter’s youth and inexperience being the main points emphasized in his character. Not only was most of his tech created by Stark, but his mythos was warped to do the same. This did, however, allow him to be shown as an actual kid, including all of the high school hijinks that comes with being a teen.
Spider-Man finally left this shadow, as well as the teeny-bopper, happy-go-lucky tone, in the climax of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Losing his Aunt May, his best friends and his own history, the now much more mature Peter leaves high school behind, having truly learned the great power of great responsibility. This means that any future appearances of the Webslinger in the MCU will be radically different, making him closer to the experienced friendly neighborhood Spider-Man that so many have been wanting. This leaves a huge void for teenage high school heroism, and it’s one Kamala Khan will likely fill.
Ms. Marvel Will Be the MCU’s New Spider-Man
The trailer for Ms. Marvel has Kamala Khan engaging in quirky heroism with her teen friends, and the dynamic is very similar to what Peter had with his friends Ned and MJ. This has even made some question the show’s tone, as it almost feels more Disney Channel than Marvel Studios.
That optimistic tone fits Kamala perfectly, as she’s obviously a young girl who will have to juggle high school with heroics. This is something that so far only Peter has done, as almost all of the other MCU heroes are not only adults, but ones with extraordinary careers or conceits such as billionaires, soldiers and gods. Thus, someone like Ms. Marvel should be there to keep things down to earth, especially as the officially announced “Spider-Man” projects are all over at Sony. She's also something of a fangirl, matching Peter's relationship with Iron Man, but such giddy hero worship actually fits her character.
Kamala’s introduction will likely coincide with the rise of Ironheart and other young heroes in the MCU. Eventually, they’ll probably form their own team, such as the Champions or even the Young Avengers. In doing so, these young heroes will be the face of the next generation of Marvel heroes, with Ms. Marvel as their de facto leader.
Ms. Marvel premieres on Disney+ June 8.