Warning: Spoilers for the first episode of “Miss Marvel”
Miss Marvel makes no secret that Kamala Khan worships Captain Marvel. Her admiration for the character was fully manifested in the premiere episode of her series for Disney+. While Kamala clearly appreciates the Avengers in general, it’s obvious that Carol is her favorite.
Kamala’s fantasies about Captain Marvel formed the basis of the plot of the first episode of “Miss Marvel”, in which Kamala decided to dress up as a superhero at AvengersCon. And although the purchase of a space bracelet gave her the opportunity to go on her own superhero journey, the series is unlikely to forget that Carol is her idol. The title of the series confirms that even if she does not appear in the six-part series, Captain Marvel will remain Kamala’s hero. And no matter what happens in the series, a face-to-face meeting between the two of them is inevitable. It is confirmed that the two characters will appear together with Monica Rambo in the upcoming Phase 4 movie “Miracles”.
The way in episode 1 “Miss Marvel” Kamala’s obsession with Captain Marvel is explored raises questions about why she values the hero so highly. As Kamala herself admitted, Carol did not stay on Earth for long after the battle with Thanos, so she did not spend much time on the planet saving people in the same way as her colleague from the comics. The comics give clues about which characteristics of Carol Kamala is so respected. In the comics, Kamala once told Carol that it was her heroism, beauty and “splendor” that made her so attractive. The idea that the MCU character shares the same opinion about Carol is confirmed by her enthusiastic comments about Captain Marvel in the opening scene of the episode.
As one of the few female heroines acting in the time frame of Avengers: Finale, Kamala quite clearly sees something great in Captain Marvel, despite her lack of a long history on Earth as a superhero. Before the show began, there was a fear that Kamala, being such a big fan of Carol, would not work in the MCU, since Captain Marvel spent most of her time in outer space (and apparently continues to do so). However, the MCU quickly sidestepped this potential problem in episode 1 of “Miss Marvel”, forcing Kamala to acknowledge Carol’s absence from the planet. Kamala pointed out that Carol may have just wanted a “break.”
It would seem that Captain Marvel has never needed a long stay on Earth to attract a huge number of fans, such as Kamala, who are ready to dress like her at Miss Marvel’s AvengersCon. Her style, the ease with which she plowed through Thanos’ fleet, and her ability to single-handedly challenge the Mad Titan were enough to inspire Kamala. With her reputation as the MCU’s space powerhouse and one of the strongest heroes, it’s no surprise that Carol was able to leave a lasting impression.
