Ms. Marvel Star Iman Vellani Wouldn’t Let Reddit Hate Go Unanswered

Even though Disney+ and Marvel Studios’ Iman Vellani-starring Ms. Marvel has wrapped up its run (for now?), we know that the story of Vellani’s Kamala Khan is far from over. First, we have the upcoming The Marvels (thus, the reason why Brie Larson shows up in the season finale credits). And then there’s that “mutation” matter and the ramifications that could possibly have on the X-MCU… I mean, MCU. So we’re very thankful to say that we’re going to have Vellani on our screens for some time to come. In fact, Vellani appeared on our screens last night, courtesy of NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers. And guess what we learned, Reddit gaslighters, gatekeepers & mansplainers? Turns out there’s a very good chance that Vellani was schooling you on your lack of MCU knowledge and more. Along with learning that Vellani goes on Reddit to answer questions and push back on the hate via several anonymous accounts, we also learn what her first meeting with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige was like, and more.

Here’s a look at Vellani’s visit to NBC’s late-night talk show on Tuesday night- enjoy!

Character co-creator & streaming series EP Sana Amanat and Vellani also shared some thoughts in response to the haters out there. As many of you know, the well-received series found itself the victim of the same social media trolls who like to scream “Woke!” at anything that dares to embrace the fact that society (thankfully) isn’t made up of just white dudes and that everyone deserves to be represented on the screen. So they “review bombed” the series in an attempt at a self-fulfilling prophecy to prove their tiny, insignificant point that most saw coming from a mile away.

“I think it comes from a place of anger and a sense that their identities are being threatened. If they can’t connect with it, then that’s OK. I just wish they wouldn’t try to put it down,” Amanat shared with NBC Asian America for a profile article. As Vellani sees it, some people will do anything and everything to fight change. “I’m not on social media. I hear things that my mother tells me, though. It’s honestly quite laughable, and I think change is scary for a lot of people. And having a show that surrounds a 16-year-old girl who’s Pakistani and Muslim and a superhero is scary for a lot of people. I think this is just gonna rip the Band-Aid off, and hopefully, people will fall in love with her,” the upcoming star of The Marvels explained. “We’re not taking anything away from Captain America and Spider-Man by letting this character exist. There’s two billion Muslims and South Asians in the world. There’s space for her.”