Credit: Marvel StudiosBrie Larson, Captain Marvel herself, will be the deciding factor on whether the critically beloved Disney+ series Ms Marvel gets a second season, according to the directors of the show.
Ms Marvel stars Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, a New Jersey superfan of Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, who struggles with her identity as a Pakistani-American and also, superpowers. The series was immediately praised by critics and audiences alike and currently has 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest score of any Disney+ Marvel series.
Iman Vellani will be teaming up with Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris (who has played Monica Rambeau since the Disney+ series Wandavision) for the upcoming film The Marvels, which is widely expected to either save the Marvel Cinematic Universe from dwindling box office grosses or cement its downward spiral.
Related: Brie Larson Confirms Captain Marvel Status, Will Play New Role in MCU
Even more than that, it turns out that the studio wants to see how Brie Larson hits audiences this time before doing anything about a Ms Marvel season 2.
The Future of Kamala Khan
In a recent episode of The Discourse podcast, Ms Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah said that they expect Marvel Studios to wait and see how The Marvels does before making any decision on a second season.
The directing duo said the studio is “waiting for The Marvels, so that will decide what the next step will be. So we’re very much looking forward to that. I can’t wait to see it, man. It’s great to see the trailers and to see the whole family back there and Iman Vellani doing great work, so looking forward to that.”
It is difficult to say whether Marvel Studios is hesitant to greenlight another season due to the increasingly poor viewership of its Disney+ shows or whether the fan hostility toward Brie Larson and Captain Marvel might have something to do with it.
Brie Larson: The Most Hated Marvel Star
When Brie Larson was introduced as Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel (2019), she was initially presented as a new central figure of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and touted as the single most powerful character in the franchise.
However, fan reaction to Captain Marvel was fixed, particularly as a contingent of the MCU fanbase took issue with Brie Larson’s outspoken feminism. By some measures, Brie Larson can be considered the most widely hated star of the MCU, whether she merits it or not.
Related: The Secret Truth Behind Damage Control in ‘Ms. Marvel’
‘The Marvels’ Box Office Hopes
In the last several years, the once-dominant Marvel Studios has faced flagging box office returns and critical reviews, with movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania disappointing expectations and Disney+ shows like Secret Invasion having the worst viewership of the franchise so far.
Combine that with fan animosity toward Brie Larson, it is not terribly surprising that the studio would hedge its bets about a Captain Marvel-related show until The Marvels proves itself.
Will The Marvels rejuvenate the MCU or kill it off? Does Ms Marvel deserve a season 2? What’s up with the kittens in space? Let us know in the comments!