In the war between DC and Marvel, I'm a Marvel guy. No offense to the Justice League but I prefer Stan Lee's ragtag misfits, most of which would never get an invite to one of Bruce Wayne's swanky cocktail parties. It's more fun to root for the outsider.
Get ready to start cheering for underdog Kamala Khan, the main character in "Ms. Marvel," which starts streaming Wednesday on Disney+.
When we first meet the teenager, played by Iman Vellani, she's worshiping the Avengers in the same way her peers geek out over BTS. She has no expectations of becoming a real superhero; she just wants to dress like one. Getting permission from her strict parents to attend a comic book convention means more to her than getting invited to prom.
Everything changes when she tries to jazz up her Captain Marvel costume with one of her great-grandmother's bangles. The bracelet gives her the ability to harness cosmic energy, allowing her to pull off stunts like walking in midair and rescuing a kid hanging off the edge of a building.
Yeah, I know. Not exactly spine-tingling stuff. But "Ms. Marvel" isn't about saving the world from alien forces, at least not in the first few episodes. It's about getting some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Her most daunting enemy early on? Mosque leaders who force women to sit behind partisans during sermons.
When she debuted in comic books nearly a decade ago, Khan became Marvel's first Muslim superhero to get top billing. The TV adaptation, led by British Pakistani writer Bisha K. Ali, doesn't shy away from her heritage or faith.
We meet colorful characters at an Asian market in Jersey City. Her wise-cracking brother comforts her with a mug of chai. Her dad roots for the Pakistan cricket team. Her best friend shares how deciding to wear a hijab has boosted her self-image.
But Khan also is all-American. When her crush offers up a driving lesson, she dances around the house to the Ronettes' "Be My Baby."
Watching newcomer Vellani blossom on screen is extra special when you consider how far TV has come in championing those who need it most. For comparison, revisit the early '80s series "The Greatest American Hero," available on a number of free streaming services, including Pluto and Tubi.
At the time, diversity meant substituting a tough-talking investigator with a nerdy teacher, one who is gifted a magical suit that he never quite figures out how to use.
Ralph Hinkley, played by hunky William Katt, is hard to feel sorry for. By the end of the first episode, his supposedly difficult students think he's Mr. Chips. Every woman falls for him. The only real gripe he can come up with is that he looks silly in long johns and a cape.
The most sympathetic character is FBI agent Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp), a sexist loudmouth who can't seem to get through the day without suffering some kind of injury.
Like many network shows from that era, "Hero" has its cheesy charms, not the least of which is the addictive theme song ("Look at what's happening to me ... "). But it's difficult to root for Katt after watching Khan's folks banish her to the bedroom for not being a "good" Muslim girl.
There have been at least two attempts to reboot "American Hero" with a female in the lead. In 2018, producers pitched a version starring "New Girl" star Hannah Simone, who like Khan is of South Asian heritage.
ABC passed. If "Ms. Marvel" is the hit it deserves to be, maybe the network will reconsider.
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