Not just physically, but also philosophically for they play the part and act out what they suggest. In between these projects, they often seek guidance. It’s usually from their fathers (from both worlds). But they also give into the religion of the people they are meant to direct for, as it turns out, fathers, the priestly kind, often give them the same lessons as those given by their own fathers.
Let’s talk about another superhero. This one loses their eyesight in an accident when they were young. They eventually dedicate their lives to saving their city. But they’re confused and divided for they’ve had a religious upbringing and a deep sense of religious morality directs their actions. However, in their pursuit to be a hero they have to do terrible, violent things. So, the confused hero ends up going to certain religious institutions and speaking to the authorities there. The religious dogmas help the hero with their dilemma. The authorities, be it books or the individuals, eventually, become guiding lights for the otherwise blind hero.
Fans would recognise the heroes of the two anecdotes above: Superman (DC) and Daredevil (Marvel) respectively. Whether through comic books or through their video interpretations, both of these tales heavily infuse Christianity in their hero’s journey.
Now let’s talk about another superhero. This one is a young, second-generation immigrant. They are Muslim. And, they are Pakistani. And, for them, the answers come not from Christianity, but from Islam and their culture. For them, family is important. For them, their Muslim identity is important. Their Pakistani identity is important. These don’t define the superhero. Or, at least, they’re not supposed to. These features are just there; indulged in and negotiated when the need arises.
Of course, I speak of Ms Marvel here.
Let’s recap the now-famous Forbes article. The TV show, Ms Marvel, is being review bombed and is the lowest-scoring show in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over 22 percent of the reviews of the series on the IMDB site are 1-star reviews. The author of the article asks their audience why this series has garnered such a response.
They then highlight some features of the show that could, possibly, explain the review-bombing: the protagonist is a Muslim, Pakistani girl, it is aimed at a younger audience, and the original power of the character has been changed in the TV series. The author then suggests that the first feature is probably why the series is being review-bombed. And this conclusion shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
Another series, Hawkeye was already aimed at a younger audience but never got these many 1-star reviews (even though, and this is a personal claim; it had a terribly weak storyline and wasted one of the best villains Marvel has to offer). Also, superpowers are often changed to suit the storyline and the audience (case in point Loki). Also, going back to our discussion on the infusion of Christianity in Superman and Daredevil storylines has never been seen as a problem. However, when a Muslim, Pakistani female protagonist follows suit, her choices stand out. This exceptionalism pretty much rests our case.
However, there is more: There is no question that misogyny, which is inherently insecurity for power and dominance, would always contribute to such reactions. A female superhero who can be more than a scantily clad love-interest, or a shadowed team-mate would definitely disappoint (better yet, scare) those amongst the man-kind who fetishise the male hierarchy. But, I insist, there is something more when it comes to Ms Marvel.
Someone can argue this: if the Muslimness and the Pakistani-ness of Ms Marvel were so offensive, why did we not see similar reactions to Moon Knight, a story saturated with Egyptian folklore and culture? Why did we not see that series review-bombed like Ms Marvel even though the director, Mohammad Daib, used Egyptian features such as pyramids, traditional music, local myths and legends, and middle-eastern actors in the episodes? If the audience of these series is knee-jerk allergic toward non-Christian cultures, why didn’t Moon Knight get the same treatment as Ms Marvel?
That’s a good question but with a simple answer: the non-Christian cultures and populace are indeed attractive to the Christian ‘West’. However, the former requires that the latter exist in certain forms and not others.
The minority cultures hence are expected and eventually governed to only exist to a certain extent; an extent that appeals to the expectations of the ‘west’ towards them. Non-Christian cultures are supposed to be exotic. They need to express themselves through mysticism, clothes, dances, food, and languages. They need to be themselves but only at superficial, non-political levels. Moon Knight fits into that category. It’s a story about pagan Egyptian gods and pharaohs. These features confirm their exoticness to the west.
However, Ms Marvel goes deeper. It goes beyond the clothes and buildings and instead narrates an identity that is influenced by an alien culture and religion. When it does so, it creeps into the political premises that engage with the audience’s biases and preconceived notions. It does not play its part as an exotic story of Bollywood dances, persecuted women, and biryanis.
Instead, it engages with Islamophobia, counter-narratives of living, differing priorities and aspirations, and a different worldview. Politics is so deeply intertwined with the topics it flirts with that it engages with politics while trying hard not to be political. And, it is this feature of Ms Marvel that could explain why it gets this special treatment as compared to other Marvel shows.
Ms Marvel goes beyond the exotic. It goes beyond the category it’s supposed to exist in. In that sense, and to conclude, the series is not about a good-Muslim superhero. Instead, it’s a tale of a bad-Muslim superhero.