Malala Yousafzai Pens Emotional Letter To New MCU Hero Ms. Marvel

Malala Yousafzai pens a heartfelt note to new MCU hero Kamala Khan from the Disney+ TV series Ms. Marvel. Yousafzai, now 24 years old, is a Pakistani activist who fights for the rights of Pakistani girls and women to attend school. She is the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, which she won in 2014 when she was only 17. Yousafzai wrote a bestselling memoir, I Am Malala, about her experience, which was later adapted into a documentary of the same name.

Ms. Marvel episode 1 drops on Disney+ today, June 8. The series follows high schooler Kamala Khan, played by newcomer Iman Vellani, who becomes the superhero Ms. Marvel after gaining powers, which trailers have suggested come from a magical Pakistani bangle. Kamala lives in New Jersey with her family, who are Pakistani immigrants, and with Ms. Marvel, she becomes the first South Asian superhero to lead her own MCU project. 

In response to Kamala Khan’s TV debut, Yousafzai writes an emotional thank you letter about the superhero. The note is handwritten and was posted by Marvel Studios on Twitter the day before the release of Ms. Marvel. In the sweet and succinct letter, Yousafzai praises the character, remarking that it is “a joy to see Ms. Marvel reflect the lives of a Pakistani immigrant family.” She thanks Marvel, Disney+ and “most importantly, Ms. Marvel” for the inclusion of Ms. Marvel within the MCU. Check out the full letter below: 

Click here to view the post on Twitter

Yousafzai, a real-life Pakistani hero, praises a fictional young Pakistani woman in this touching post. Noting that Ms. Marvel’s “powers connect to her heritage,” Yousafzai shows appreciation for the effort that the MCU made to do proper justice to the character. The Disney+ series has the power stem from a bangle Kamala has in her family, rather than from a random encounter, such as Peter Parker’s spider bite. As a project clearly invested in representation, earning such high praise from a Nobel Prize-winning activist is huge for Ms. Marvel. 

Though only three sentences long, Yousafzai’s message is a potent reminder of the power of representation within the MCU. With roles like Kamala Khan and the recent America Chavez in Doctor Strange 2, Marvel is trying more and more to incorporate key players in their films that aren’t all from the same background, and while the franchise still has a long way to go in terms of inclusivity, Ms. Marvel is clearly a step in the right direction. From her inspiring letter, Yousafzai would appear to agree as well. Ms. Marvel released episode 1 on June 8, 2022 on Disney+ and will continue to release weekly episodes on Wednesdays throughout June and July.