The Disney+ series Ms. Marvel will be heading to the big screen in Pakistan. Taking to Instagram, series director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy made the official announcement that Ms. Marvel will be screen in theaters across the country. According to the announcement, Ms. Marvel will be screen in theaters exclusively in Pakistan as a way to celebrate the first Pakistani superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the announcement:
"This decision was made to celebrate the introduction of the first Pakistani Marvel superhero, Kamala Khan (played by Iman Vellani), into the MCU. The series also features a diverse cast both in front of and behind the camera. Disney and Marvel did not want Pakistani audiences to miss out on seeing Ms Marvel and her story as Disney+ has not yet launched in their country."
To make the theatrical release possible, Disney and Marvel will be splitting up the six-episode series into three equal parts. Episodes 1 and 2 will premiere in Pakistani theaters on June 16. Episodes 3 and 4 will follow on June 30. Finally, episodes 5 and 6 will debut on July 14.
Ms. Marvel Star Iman Vellani Is Thrilled to Bring More Diversity to the MCU
Iman Vellani makes her on-screen debut as Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel. With her casting, the 19-year-old actress hopes that her entrance in the MCU will help serve as an inspiration for others. As Vellani previously told Variety:
"The fact that the show is being made & they’re including this character in the MCU is [what’s important]. I don’t really have to go out of my way & 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."
Bisha K. Ali developed Ms. Marvel for Disney+, taking inspiration from characters introduced in Marvel Comics. The series follows a young Captain Marvel fangirl who develops her own superpowers, starting a journey that will result in her one day teaming up with her idol. The series also stars Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, and Laith Nakli.
The series will also help set up the events of the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels. That movie will feature Vellani reprising her role as Ms. Marvel as she teams up with Brie Larson's Captain Marvel and Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau. Nia DaCosta directs using a screenplay by Megan McDonnell. The movie is set to be released next summer, about a year after the Ms. Marvel series first introduces the titular superhero. Given the nature of the MCU, we could very well end up seeing Iman Vellani's Ms. Marvel in more projects to come as well.
For those who have Disney+, the new Ms. Marvel series is set to make its streaming debut on Jun 8, 2022. Fans can then look out for Vellani to return when The Marvels hits theaters on July 28, 2023.