Iman Vellani

Iman Vellani (born August 12, 2002) is a Canadian actress and comic book writer. She starred as Kamala Khan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) miniseries Ms. Marvel (2022) and Marvel Zombies (2024) and the film The Marvels (2023). Vellani has also appeared as Khan in other Disney productions and has co-written two Ms. Marvel limited series.

Early life
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Vellani moved to Canada when she was a year old,  and was raised as an Ismaili Muslim. She graduated from Unionville High School in Markham, Ontario. Vellani was selected as a member of the TIFF Next Wave Committee at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Before being cast in Ms. Marvel at the end of her last year of high school, Vellani had planned to attend the Ontario College of Art & Design University with a focus on integrated media.

Acting
In September 2020, it was revealed Vellani was cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero Kamala Khan for Marvel Studios and Disney+'s streaming television miniseries Ms. Marvel. Vellani's aunt had forwarded her a casting call for the role; she submitted a self-tape before being asked to audition in Los Angeles; and eventually had two screen tests: in-person in February that year, and virtually over Zoom in June. Kamala Khan co-creator Sana Amanat—who served as an executive producer on the series—said Vellani revealed in her Zoom screen test that she, like Khan, is an Avengers fangirl. Amanat said, "She showed me every corner of her room, and it was covered with Avengers. Then she said, 'Oh, wait; I'm not done', opened up her closet, and there was more Marvel everywhere".

On June 8, 2022, Ms. Marvel premiered on Disney+, marking Vellani's onscreen debut. Both the series and her portrayal of the title character received widespread praise. Kathryn Porter of Paste wrote that Vellani "shines" in the role and that there was "no way to explain how great she is in this other than to say that she embodies the true spirit of Kamala Khan". Mohammad Zaheer of BBC Culture called her "an adorable bundle of charisma" in a role "tailor-made for her", while Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter said that Vellani's full of "youthful verve and irresistible moxie" in her role. The miniseries concluded on July 13, 2022, consisting of six episodes. For her performance in the program, Vellani won a Saturn Award and received nominations for an Astra TV Award and a Critics Choice Super Award. From July 2022, Vellani appeared in Disney Wish's CGI—immersive interactive experience, Avengers: Quantum Encounter, reprising her role as Khan.

Vellani reprised her role as Kamala Khan in the 2023 film The Marvels, a sequel to the 2019 film Captain Marvel, which also serves as a continuation of Ms. Marvel; it was released in November. The film received polarizing reviews from critics; however, Vellani's performance was regarded as the standout amongst the cast. Amelia Emberwing of IGN declared that she "predictably steals the show", Helen O'Hara of Empire praised her humor and emotional depth with the "two older heroes." whilst Christian Holub of Entertainment Weekly noted Vellani as a "shining star" despite his lukewarm review of the film.

Vellani will voice an animated version of Kamala Khan for Disney+'s Marvel Zombies, which is the series adaptation of the fifth episode of the animated series, What If...?.

Writing
In August 2023, Vellani made her comic writing debut with the four-issue limited series Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant, co-written by Sabir Pirzada, who wrote the limited series Dark Web: Ms. Marvel and an episode of the Ms. Marvel show. It features Ms. Marvel exploring her newfound dual heritage as an Inhuman and a mutant and becoming a member of the X-Men. Lia Williamson of AIPT praised Vellani's handling of the character's new status quo as "[her] knowledge and love for the character allow her to make lemonade out of the lemons she's been given"; the writer opined that Vellani's "robust love and passion" for Kamala Khan "shines throughout her writing". After the conclusion of The New Mutant in November 2023, it was announced that the series would be followed by a sequel four-issue limited series titled Ms. Marvel: Mutant Menace, with Vellani and Pirazda returning as writers; the first issue was released on March 6, 2024. Alex Schlesinger, also for AIPT, praised the final issue of Mutant Menace, commenting that "Vellani is a Marvel superfan, so she knows how important Kamala's identity and power set are to her readers, and her and Pirzada do a wonderful job of introducing Ms. Marvel's MCU ability while keeping her polymorph powers."

Vellani is set to write several more Ms. Marvel issues with Pirzada, including Ms. Marvel Annual #1 on July 31, 2024, which is part of the connected Infinity Watch storyline, and a short story which will be part of the anthology one-shot Marvel 85th Anniversary Special commemorating Marvel Comics' 85th anniversary, on August 28, 2024.