John Hughes is a filmmaker that defined the teen comedy genre throughout the 1980s. Films like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Pretty in Pink are cultural staples. Hughes' films have a universal charm that appeases audiences of any generation. Leaving a footprint in film history, his stories have themes and ideas easily adapted into other genres. It was only a matter of time before those themes would be modernized for the world today. A perfect outlet for these ideas of adolescence and identity would be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ms. Marvel on Disney+ injected John Hughes' sensibilities into a superhero story. Instead of the show having continuous cheesy 80s clichés, its themes are relatable to modern audiences. Kamala Khan is a Pakastani-American high school student from Jersey City. In a world of identities being found through superpowers, Kamala has the pressure of fitting into a multicultural world and acknowledging her Desi culture. She is simultaneously forced to deal with being a teenager in America. Coming with its own trial and tribulations, the story is similar to something John Hughes would have made today. Careful homages make the show fresh, exciting, and something that deserves more attention.
High School and Familial Drama Come First
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Iman Vellani commands the screen in the titular role of the adolescent superhero. She has a difficult job balancing two different sorts of tones in her performance. Vellani is charming as the typical wisecracking Marvel character who happens to love the actual Captain Marvel hero. Being a genuine fan of superheroes helps make her teenage drama and comedy feel more realistic. Ms. Marvel is at its best when the show focuses on Kamala finding her own identity. These moments of discovery include comical scenes of being with her family, friends, and school crushes.
Watching Kamala deal with regular teenage issues is like watching characters from a Hughes story. Acknowledging her coming-of-age journey and exploring the lighter side of the universe creates something out of a Hughes classic. To make the character a bit lighter, her superpowers had to be changed. In the comics, Kamala Khan's powers were similar to Mr. Fantastic of The Fantastic Four. Instead of having the ability to shape her body at will, the show has her powers connecting to her past. Her powers come from the Khan family heritage, creating drama that feels realistic.
Every character has their own interpersonal drama the show discusses. The only difference is that the drama is delivered in a refreshing way. Elements like Kamala’s relationships with friends and her parent's romance have heart. There is also the '80s cheesiness similar to the films Ms. Marvel is pulling from. Taking the cheesiness of those stories, the strongest element is a sensation of cultural appreciation. Spotlighting the real-life elements of Kamala’s culture connects with the real world.
Season One Promises a Rich Future for the MCU
The season one finale gave the MCU a bombshell that will reverberate in the future. Kamala Khan's DNA is hinted to have a “genetic mutation,” which opens up serious franchise opportunities. A character like Kamala is a perfect guide for audiences to discover this new version of mutants. The reveal promises new drama for her as both a hero and a person. Such a revelation also promises a new struggle for everyone in Kamala’s life. This includes her disappearance in the post-credits sequence for the season.
Setting up Kamala’s next appearance in The Marvel, the mutation revelation teases two scenarios. Scenario one ties into episode six’s after-credits sequences, suggesting Ms. Marvel has swapped places with Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel’s panicked reaction is most likely a tease of her conflict with the Skrulls. The Skrulls, a group of shape-shifting aliens, are positioning themselves to be one of the MCU’s biggest threats. Mutants may be the only answer to the Skrull problem.
If season one of Ms. Marvel proved anything, it was that Kamala had an extensive imagination. Option two promises to give the character a well-rounded emotional arch. Most heroes like Captain Marvel, Captain America, and even Thor will be on the frontlines in Avengers: Secret Wars. Ms. Marvel herself is a character that is the first of her kind. Her newly discovered gifts could be what gives the new team of heroes the upper hand. It also teases new drama Kamala could face while paying respect to her culturally diverse roots.
Besides the normal team teen angst, there could be implications for her family. The show had very effective commentary on being Muslim American in the world today, and revealing herself to be mutant promises that Kamala will face more division. As Ms. Marvel suggested, an interesting issue she faced was a struggle with identity. Realistic drama, along with an alien invasion, could blend well with the John Hughes elements. The risk of a Skrull invasion will make Kamala’s teenage struggles feel more severe.
Season one saw Kamala deal with humane issues like high school crushes. These Hughes-style story beats helped the characters of Ms. Marvel feel the most realistic in the MCU. Cheesy and heartwarming drama amongst the cast charmed viewers to love the characters. Applying the thrills of an invasion storyline will test how genuine Ms. Marvels John Hughes' homages are. Caring about them on such a deep and cheesy level makes what's to come all the more dangerous.