Marvel’s first Muslim superhero Ms. Marvel’s adventures have garnered the attention of 775,000 pairs of eyes in the US.
According to Samba TV, Ms. Marvel, the studio’s latest TV offering, has got the lowest viewing numbers for Marvel’s TV show so far. “Only” 775,000 people tuned in to watch Iman Vellani’s first outing as Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel. In comparison, Loki’s first episode drew in an audience of 2.5 million and Hawkeye drew in 1.5 million viewers, being the lowest ranked show in viewership before Ms. Marvel.
However – and quite possibly more importantly – Ms. Marvel managed to draw in more viewers aged 20-24 than any other Marvel show and Samba TV also reports that “it drew a more diverse audience with Black, Hispanic and Asian households watching at a higher rate.” Ms. Marvel currently holds a critic score of 96% and an audience score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the best reviewed show out of Marvel’s Disney+ shows.
It’s great news for Marvel, a studio that has been predominantly white and male-led since the very beginning of its cinematic universe. In Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American girl obsessed with Captain Marvel, who develops her own set of powers. The series is currently halfway with episode 3 becoming available to stream today. Kamala Khan is Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first Muslim superhero and one of the small group of female superheroes Marvel has brought to the screen, big or small.
Now with The Avengers Saga complete, Marvel has been able to extend their efforts to TV and bring more unknown characters to the screen. Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac, focused heavily on Egyptian mythology and Mohammed Diab served as showrunner, infusing the show with much needed details and Egyptian culture.
In recent years, Marvel has focused on creating a more diverse roster of superheroes; last year’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, starring Simu Liu, grossed $432 million worldwide and was nominated for an Academy Award. When the film became available on Disney+ in December 2021, 10% of its viewership came from Asian American households, the highest number for any title in the same week.
