Television series

Ms. Marvel

Name: Ms. Marvel
Genre: Comedy, Action, Science Fiction
Released: 2022
Cast: Iman Vellani, Matt Lintz, Zenobia Shroff, Yasmeen Fletcher, Rish Shah

Ms. Marvel follows Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenager in Jersey City who discovers she has superhero powers. It's a dizzy, funny, visually inventive series that treats being sixteen and caught between cultures as seriously as it treats the action. For anyone who's felt like an outsider, or who just loves characters that make you smile.

TVMaze rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like coming-of-age stories where the superhero plot is the sideshow and the real drama is a teenager juggling family expectations, a fan's love of comics, and a sudden new body that won't behave.

Skip it if you want a tightly plotted, fast-cutting action series; the six episodes of roughly 46 minutes each spend a lot of time on school, home life and friendships between the fight scenes.

What it asks of you: Six short episodes you can clear in a weekend, with a light touch and a warm, chatty pace; the action arrives in bursts, and most of the attention goes to characters talking in kitchens and classrooms.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Spider-Man: Homecoming2017

Another young hero figuring out their powers while juggling school, family expectations, and actual danger. Tom Holland's Peter has the same earnest awkwardness as Kamala, and the film nails the tone of teenage superherodom without condescension.

But It's wrapped up in the larger MCU, so some setups feel designed for other movies. Doesn't hit quite as hard as the best Spider-Man stories.

Heartstopper2022

British teen romance with the same warm, genuinely funny energy as Ms. Marvel. Celebrates outsiders and misfits without ever being cynical. Beautiful color work and a cast that feels alive on screen.

But If you're looking for plot momentum, it's deliberately low-stakes and meandering. The sweetness won't land if you want conflict or drama.

Turning Red2022

Pixar film about a Chinese-Canadian girl navigating family, identity, and embarrassment. Uses magical realism the same way Ms. Marvel does—as a language for internal states. Visually exuberant and genuinely about what it means to not fit.

But Relies on knowledge of specific cultural references that won't resonate if that's not your world. Some find the mother-daughter stuff heavy-handed.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Ms. Marvel

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Arcane: League of Legends2021

Both use superpowers as a metaphor for growing up between two worlds. Both are genuinely funny while handling real stakes. Both are visually inventive in their medium.

Animated series that uses magic and superpowers as a language for class struggle and systemic injustice. Visually stunning, emotionally devastating. Treats its young characters with seriousness and complexity while maintaining real humor and warmth.

But Animated, so some dismiss it immediately. Deeply tragic; this isn't an escape. Requires patience—the payoff is worth it, but you have to sit with the slow build.

Atypical2017

Teen series that treats its protagonist's differences as just part of who he is, not the problem to solve. Funny, tender, genuinely interested in its supporting characters. Same vibe of celebrating neurodivergence and outsider perspectives.

But Later seasons lose focus. The representation choices have been debated. Takes a while to find its rhythm.

The Summer I Turned Pretty2022

Teen romance that doesn't talk down to its audience. Strong ensemble cast, beautiful cinematography, and characters who feel like real people with real stakes. Nostalgic without being saccharine.

But If love triangles bore you, this won't change your mind. Relies on a certain aesthetic and beach-town fantasy life.

Loki2021

MCU series that actually deconstructs superhero mythology instead of just celebrating it. Playful, stylish, genuinely interested in its characters' interiority. Tom Hiddleston commits completely.

But The time-travel plot gets convoluted. Requires knowing Loki's history. Less focused on character than on concept in places.

Advantageous2015

Sci-fi drama about a mother remaking herself in a near-future world. Thoughtful, atmospheric, genuinely explores the weight of expectations and sacrifice. Shot with real style on a small budget.

But Slow burn and deliberately ambiguous. Won't appeal if you want clear resolution or high action. Very much an indie film.

Everything Sucks!2018

Underrated comedy about misfits making a school film. Genuinely hilarious, with heart for its characters and a real sense of found family. Captures being young and weird with real affection.

But It was cancelled after one season, so no closure. High school comedy clichés, though it plays with them well.

Kim's Convenience2016

Canadian sitcom about a Korean-Canadian family running a corner store. Warm, funny, genuinely interested in how culture lives in small moments and family dynamics. No jokes at the characters' expense, only with them.

But Gentle pacing won't satisfy anyone wanting plot momentum. Some find the comedy too understated. The later seasons diverge in tone.

Everything Everywhere All at Once2022

Both treat the fantastic as completely normal in service of deeply human stories. Both are about feeling displaced, about belonging. Both have a visual language that serves the emotional truth.

Multiverse chaos wrapped around a story about a mother trying to connect with her daughter. Wildly inventive, absurdist, tender, and genuinely moving. Uses genre and style as emotional language, not decoration.

But Relentlessly overstuffed. If you need clarity or grounded storytelling, this will frustrate you. Tonal whiplash between silly and devastating.

Everything Everywhere All at Once poster

Fleabag2016

Both are young women figuring out who they are while managing family expectations and cultural displacement. Both are structurally innovative without being showy about it. Both find humor in genuine pain and loneliness.

British comedy about a twenty-something woman who talks directly to camera while her life falls apart and comes together. Funny, profane, painfully honest about shame and family and wanting to be loved. Genuinely great TV.

But Very adult in tone and content; nothing like Ms. Marvel's teenage sweetness. Only six episodes total, so it ends just as you're invested. Breaking the fourth wall won't work for everyone.