Disney Producer Sana Amanat Explains Why It’s Okay That Ms Marvel Doesn’t Wear a Hijab

Not to be confused with the original Ms Marvel, Carol Danvers (now Captain Marvel), the latest person to carry the name is Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American citizen who originally got her powers from a terrigen bomb, similar to Inhumans.

Kamala was recently the main protagonist of The Avengers’ game in 2020 and quickly won the hearts of fans and gamers alike - so it comes by no surprise that Disney and Marvel chose her to possibly play a pivotal role in the next phase of the MCU.

However, the trailer received mixed responses as fans from some parts of the world questioned Marvel’s decision to explore her Islamic roots by excluding her hijab at the same time. The debate raised a lot of eyebrows in the comic book community since then.

To clear the air, we spoke to the producer of the show, Sana Amanat, who may also be the best person to speak on the character as she also co-created her together with fellow Stephen Wacker, G Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKalvie. Sana is also a Pakistani-American Muslim, born and bred in New Jersey - just like Kamala Khan.

‘I’m not too worried about it, of course, everyone’s allowed to have an opinion and I respect it but at the same time, I don’t believe any group of people is a monolith.

‘Just because I’m Muslim doesn’t mean I am one thing, just because you’re a Malaysian doesn’t mean you’re one thing. You are a spectrum.’ she adds.

‘For us that’s what we want to tell. We’re telling one kind of story and she happens to be South Asian, a Muslim from Jersey and she does not wear a hijab but she does go to the mosque, she does pray. So I think it’s a different way of expressing her culture and religious identity.’

Watch the snippet of our interview here:

Ms Marvel may join the likes of Kate Bishop, Yelena Belova and America Chavez as a new breed of superheroes ready to spearhead the decade of MCU domination. But before that, join us as we enjoy the first episode of Ms Marvel out on the 8th of June on Disney Plus Hotstar.