Squad Review: Ms. Marvel Episode 1

It's been a tradition here on the Bro Force Squad Podcast to review every episode (with the exception of "What If") of the MCU Disney+ shows, and with me being unable to corral the other Bros to record one for Ms. Marvel, we're taking it back to a good old Squad Review as I'll give you my thoughts on the latest series introducing us to Kamala Khan. We dive in as always, using the four Bro Force Squad criteria for tv shows.

ACTING - Iman Vellani was literally born to play Ms. Marvel. Her enthusiasm for the character and the role permeate the screen, and she is one of the most enjoyable additions to the MCU we've had recently. I'm very excited to see how she progresses throughout this series as we've already seen her absolutely crush the awkward teenage motif, and you can tell the serious emotional beats are yet to come.

Matt Lintz as Bruno had great comedic timing with Vellani, and although I enjoy his character I'm nervous he will become a watered down version of Ned Leeds from the Spider-Man movies. Here's to hoping there's more in store for him.

No negatives from episode one in terms of performances for me. You can tell Kamala's family will be a big part of her character and this series, and I hope we get more Abbu because his energy is what I'm here for.

STORY - We hit the ground running with the initial exposition, and I get that the comic book artwork thrown into the show might not hit with everyone, but I thought it was incredibly unique to the MCU and added a great visual flair to pair with Kamala's fangirling throughout the episode. Narratively we have way more questions than answers, but this is just the premier episode so that's to be expected. I am interested in the bracelet Kamala receives her powers from and who the antagonist will be in the show. For a premier entry I think we had enough to be satisfied, but more importantly get a sense of the tone and characters going forward.

BEST SCENE - Not to take the low hanging fruit, but the entire AvengerCon scene was incredible. I'm a sucker for fanservice and easter eggs, and there was a feast for thine eyes. I also think the stakes that were realized upon Kamala coming home paired really well with the levity and fun we had earlier in the episode, and showed that her actions are going to have consequences as she is trying to manage her family dynamic with the struggles of adolescence and wanting to become your own person.

THEORIES AND QUESTIONS - Usually I will try to do a little cursory research for this portion of the review, but this week I'm just going to wing it and if you guys and girls at home have anything that you want to add please do so in the comments.

T - easiest theory prediction of all time, but Captain Marvel AND Photon AKA Monica Rambeau will make an appearance in this series to tease the team up for "The Marvels". How at this point I have no idea, but I want to get it in writing that it's happening.

T - SWORD will have interest in Kamala because of the bracelet. We need a nefarious organization lurking around to give Ms. Marvel some trouble, and after their inadvertently creating Photon in WandaVision, they will start poking their nose in the alleys of Jersey City looking for Kalama.

Q - What is the source of power in the bracelet? We know it belonged to Kamala's Nana, and her mother seemingly wants it to be left alone, but what is the lore or history behind it and how it?

Overall I think this was a great first entry to the series and has me excited going forward. There is definitely a sense of originality to what we have here, and the character of Kamala Khan is going to be some fresh blood in the MCU that should be an interesting addition. Also if you're one of those people online who is review bombing this show somewhere, get a life bro. That's coming from someone in myself who doesn't have a life so you know I know what I'm talking about.

-JH