There has been a lot of speculation about Ms. Marvel’s powers ever since Marvel decided to change them for the OTT show. You see, Kamala Khan in the comics has powers that enable her to embiggen her limbs to deal with troublemakers in unique ways. But the Kamala Khan of the MCU will have powers that are more akin to Green Lantern in the sense that her embiggened limbs are projections of energy. This energy is also said to be cosmic in origin but that part is merely speculation at this point. But is this change a good thing? That is the question we will attempt to answer in this post. Here are 5 reasons in favor of the power change and 2 against it.
5 Reasons Why Marvel Was Right
No Powers Means No Inhumans
Marvel tried going The Inhumans route and failed miserably, so it will come as no surprise to anyone that Marvel Studios would not like to use the property again for some time, given the perception that everything associated with the MCU is destined for success. So it follows that Marvel would not want to associate with a failed show for some while. Since Kamala’s origin in the comics is related to The Inhumans, changing her powers also allows Marvel to change her origin and circumvent the Inhuman problem.
The Marvels
It is a well-known fact that Marvel Studios is building up to The Marvels, a superhero team that will mostly be comprised of Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau from Wandavision. All of the characters on this team are said to have energy absorption or projection powers. That seems to be the theme that Marvel is going for right now. So, Kamala’s power change makes her much more suitable for this team than her comic counterpart.
Easier Production On An OTT Budget
In an ideal world, we could conjure up comic stories and powers as they have existed on paper without any financial worry. But in the real world producers and show makers are driven by budgetary constraints so the media property can actually net the studio some profit. Hence, Kamala’s power change can also help Marvel save some money on CGI since making energy projection is much cheaper than making real-looking hands but 10x larger than normal.
This Is MCU And Not Marvel Comics
Since MCU has been trying to distinguish itself from the Marvel comicverse we have come to a point where merely adopting the characters into live-action does not in itself act as a significant differentiator. To establish their own legacy, Marvel Studios have to do something drastically different to what they have been doing up until now. In this sense changing Kamala’s origin and powers is the right move as it gives the MCU version her own character.
Avoid The Clash With Reed Richards
It is a well-known fact that Reed Richards will be coming to the MCU soon, as played by John Krasinski. This means that we will have a hero who can embiggen and stretch his limbs to his heart’s desire. If Ms. Marvel’s powers were not changed she would clash directly with Reed Richards, whose powers are more iconic than Kamala. So, all in all, this change seems like a positive thing.
2 Reasons Why Marvel Is Wrong
It Is No Longer Ms. Marvel
Some comic fans have been arguing that the embiggening powers are, and have always been a key part of who Kamala Khan is in the comics. You cannot separate the art from the artist and you cannot separate the powers from the hero. The true essence of the character lies in her personality which is also formed as such because of her powers. So, fans argue, that by changing the powers Marvel will also change the character and disappoint fans.
Green Lantern Rip Off
Although Kamala’s powers have been adjusted for live-action, she has not been given any unique powers that the superhero community has not heard of before. Rather than creating something new, the show makers decided to give her energy projection powers which seem similar to the powers of Green Lantern. This puts her in the crosshairs of DC fans who will undoubtedly call Kamala a rip-off of Green Lantern. Let us know how you feel about this down in the comments.
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