STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
She possesses superhuman speed and strength. She can recover from almost any injury. She can change the size and shape of her body. She is Kamala Khan, also known as Ms. Marvel, a superhero. And Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, says she's making big career moves.
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KEVIN FEIGE: Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan - Muslim, Pakistani teenager from Jersey City - is coming to the MCU.
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FEIGE: It is remarkably exciting for us. You will meet her in her Disney+ series, and then you will see her in our films.
INSKEEP: OK, for the uninitiated, the MCU is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Khan was the first Muslim Marvel character to headline her own comic book five years ago, and now she will be the first Muslim superhero to get her own live-action television show on Disney's new streaming service.
G WILLOW WILSON: I think all of us on Team Marvel are so excited for what is happening next with this character. (Laughter) It's just - I still pinch myself.
INSKEEP: That's Ms. Marvel's co-creator G. Willow Wilson, who is herself a convert to Islam. She says comic book readers are more diverse than ever.
WILSON: I think it's important for comic book readers of all backgrounds to be able to see some story that they can relate to on a really visceral level - yes, that's me; that's my life.
INSKEEP: Ms. Marvel's costume was inspired by Pakistani dress, expanding the expectations of a superhero story.
WILSON: You have to think about what stories have we not pulled yet. Are we retreading something that we've already said a million times or are we pushing ourselves to come up with something new?
INSKEEP: Now, there is not an official release date for the show yet, but Wilson says she cannot wait to see how her character will evolve.
WILSON: I kind of stepped back as a writer, and now I get to see the next part of her history unfold, and I get to do that as a fan.
INSKEEP: As do so many others.
(SOUNDBITE OF PINAR TOPRAK'S "CAPTAIN MARVEL") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.