The time is ripe for MCU’s newest and one of the youngest superheroes to take the stage, and she’s ready (almost) to save the world on her own. Following in the footsteps of her idol,Captain Marvelaka Carol Danvers, a young Kamala Khan is beginning her journey to become an awesome superhero in her own right,donning the persona ofMs. Marvel.Ms. Marvel is a relatively new superhero in the Marvel Comics community as well, having debuted inCaptain Marvel #14(August 2013) before going on to star in the solo seriesMs. Marveljust 9 years ago. And much to everyone’s surprise, the very first volume ofMs. Marvelwent on to win the Hugo Award for the best graphic story in 2015.
Pakistani-Canadian actressIman Vellanimakes her on-screen debut as the titular character, and the miniseries also starsMatt Lintz,Yasmeen Fletcher,Zenobia Shroff,Mohan Kapur,Saagar Shaikh,Rish Shah, andFawad Khanin important roles. However, longtime comic book fans are slightly concerned about Ms. Marvel’s powers that were shown in the recent trailers, as they vary greatly from the ones depicted in the Marvel Comics.
This new on-screen depiction of Ms. Marvel wears mysterious bangles to gain access to her new powers, while her traditional comic book counterpart had stretchy powers like Mr. Fantastic aka Reed Richards along with an accelerated healing factor.
Her powers seem to manifest from her bangles, a family heirloom that Kamala’s mother labels as trash and were presumably passed down to her family by herNani(maternal grandmother). When she is testing out her new powers with her best friend, she describes them as ideas and something cosmic, and later names the constructs “Hardlight”. This is something very similar to what a certain DC superhero with a powerful ring does and might have been the inspiration behind Ms. Marvel’s new powers.
So while we try to fully comprehend the powers of this new iteration ofMs. Marvel, here are 7 similar shows to watch that’ll make you dream-walk in your own fantasy world, just like young Kamala.
Related:‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 1: How Kamala’s Culture Is a Vital Part of Her Story
Stargirl (2020-Ongoing)
DC’s coming-of-age superhero showStargirlcaused huge waves of excitement amongst comic book fans because it meant the return of the JSA (Justice Society of America), one of the most beloved DC superhero teams that hasn’t received as much on-screen time as the more popularJustice League. Stargirl aka Courtney Whitmore, played byBrec Bassingerin the TV show, is a high school student who accidentally stumbles upon her stepdad’s superhero past, and a powerful weapon called the Cosmic Staff. The staff belonged to the leader of JSA, Starman, who was killed during a battle with the infamous Injustice Society of America (ISA), a supervillain group that murdered most members of the JSA. It bestows the wielder with numerous cosmic powers, that include flight, super strength, and shooting cosmic beams. ISA is back once again after nearly a decade to cause havoc, and it is up to Courtney to assemble a new version of JSA to fight against the looming threat.
Hawkeye (2021)
Taking place after the events of the filmAvengers: Endgame(2019),Hawkeyeshares continuity with the rest of the films of the MCU. The miniseries sees the return ofJeremy Renneras Hawkeye/Clint Barton and is joined byHailee Steinfeldas his young protégée, Kate Bishop. Just as Kamala worships Captain Marvel, Kate Bishop idolizes Hawkeye and wants to become an accomplished superhero like him. However, Barton made some really dangerous enemies from his time as Ronin, and he reluctantly agrees to join forces with Bishop to take them down while also training her to be the next Hawkeye. The series also starsFlorence Pughas Yelena Belova / Black Widow, who is hunting Hawkeye to find answers about her sister Natasha Romanoff’s (the original Black Widow) death.
Titans (2018-Present)
Titansis a gritty take on DC’s Teen Titans, a superhero team consisting of teen to young adult characters such as Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, Cyborg, Superboy, Raven, Kid Flash, and many more. The series, however, has taken a slightly different path than the source material, utilizing selective characters and pitting them against perils that are not just physical, but also psychological. The Titans included in the TV show are Dick Grayson aka Nightwing (Brenton Thwaites), Kory Anders aka Starfire (Anna Diop), Rachel Roth aka Raven (Teagan Croft), Gar Logan aka Beast Boy (Ryan Potter), Jason Todd aka Robin/Red Hood (Curran Walters), Donna Troy aka Wonder Girl (Conor Leslie), Hank Hall aka Hawk (Alan Ritchson), Dawn Granger aka Dove (Minka Kelly), Rose Wilson (Chelsea Zhang), and Conner aka Superboy (Joshua Orpin). The first and second seasons were released on DC Universe; the third season premiered on HBO Max and the series has been renewed for a fourth season.
Shadow and Bone (2021-Present)
Based on the fantasy novels written byLeigh Bardugo,Shadow and Boneis set in a fictional world where a magical war is taking place, fueled by magically talented “Grisha” with the ability to manipulate the elements. The first season tells the story of a young Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), an orphan and cartographer of the Ravka nation’s First Army. She is forced into joining their cause when it is discovered that she is a Grisha, and her powers will bring an end to their world’s misery according to an old prophecy. However, she discovers a terrible truth about her caretaker and General of the second army Aleksander Kirigan (Ben Barnes), after which she is forced to flee with a criminal gang called The Crows. The show was renewed for a second season consisting of eight episodes and is currently in production.
Supergirl (2015-2021)
One of the most popular TV shows of The CW’s Arrowverse,Supergirltells the story of Superman’s famous biological cousin Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El, played byMelissa Benoist. At the age of 13, Kara was sent in a separate spaceship alongside Kal-El/Clark Kent as a protector to her baby cousin, however, her pod is knocked off course by Krypton’s explosion and sent into the Phantom Zone, where it stayed for 24 years. The series begins twelve years after Kara finally reaches earth and is beginning to adapt to her new powers and environment. The series went on for 6 seasons leading into the spinoffSuperman & Loisin 2021.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018-2020)
Chilling Adventures of Sabrinais a coming-of-age supernatural horror TV series based on theArchiecomic book series of the same name. It is a revamp of the 1996 sitcomSabrina The Teenage Witchbut features a slightly darker tone. The Netflix series tells the story of Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka), half-human, half-witch, who is trying hard to keep the balance between her high school, teenage drama, land of the living, and her role as a witch of the Church of Night. The series was put to rest in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, however, a crossover withRiverdaleand a comic book series continuation, titledThe Occult World of Sabrinawere eventually announced.
Related:Every ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 1 Comics Easter Eggs, Revealed
I Am Not Okay With This (2020)
While most teens like Kamala dream of having superpowers ever since they are introduced to the world of superhero comics, 17-year-old Sydney Novak (SophiaLillis) is one who regrets ever having them. Based on Charles Forsman’s graphic novel of the same name,I Am Not Okay With Thissees Sydney suddenly develop superpowers when a recent heartbreak causes her to manifest her anger into telekinetic abilities. She finds it extremely difficult to keep up with school life, her budding sexuality, and her lack of control over her powers as she tries to balance them on a single platter.
