Iman Vellani Explains How She Would Fix The MCU
Over the last year, a ton of ink has been spilled on Marvel’s struggles at the box office and what the studio can do to turn things around.
On the entire planet, however, there may not be a person with a more unique perspective on what Marvel should do next than Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani.
Not only has Vellani’s Kamal Khan been one of the true bright spots in recent MCU releases, but the actress is a Marvel superfan who has seen all of the MCU projects and even written her own Ms. Marvel comic book.
How Iman Vellani Would Fix The MCU
When asked what Marvel Studios should do to recapture some of its fleeting magic, Vellani says that the studio needs to focus on its characters, not just a bigger threat.
“I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s about just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Because then, like, what’s left? You know, I think it’s just about making the audience care about their characters. And I think they’ve established so many wonderful characters in the last phase of the MCU that it would be nice to see them all again and see them team up,” she says.
Over the last two years, Marvel has unleashed a torrent of new characters, to this point, however, the new heroes have operated largely within their own worlds. If things were up to Vellani, this would change.
” “I think, because there are so many new characters people want to like, start shipping people together and be like, ‘Oh, seeing Kamala and like the Red Guardian together.’ Like imagining all these pair-ups, and I think that would definitely pay off. It’ll be like, you know, the next Avengers.”
Still A Marvel Fan
Even after becoming a Marvel star in her own right, Vellani continues to be the franchise’s number-one fan.
““But yeah, I mean, I’m speaking as a fan like I’m still there every Thursday night. Like all the Thursday night openings of these movies—they’re just like a source of happiness for me. And the commercial success honestly doesn’t determine the enjoyment of a film for me. Like I judge a movie by the feeling it left me with. And yeah, I do want to leave a movie feeling a little lighter and a little happier, and I hope the audience does, too.”
According to Vellani, she is not the only Marvel fan working on the MCU films.
“Every single person that works at Marvel Studios is genuinely a fan and so in love with their craft and in love with their job. And I think that dedication to their work is what makes a good, if not great, movie. So I’ve gotten to meet a lot of really cool people. Yes, it’s like kind of ruined.”
Marvel Should Listen
If Marvel wants to take the temperature of its fan base, it would do well to heed Vellani’s advice. At her core, she is a Marvel nerd.
The MCU was built on characters. If Marvel wants to recover its movie magic, it would do well to remember this.