'Ms Marvel' backstory has left some Muslim fans unhappy

The newest show to be launched on Disney+, Ms Marvel has been praised since its release on June 8.

The series about Pakistani-American teenager Kamala Khan has an impressive 96 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus being that it is a "genuinely fresh addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe".

Pakistanis also applauded the show for its representation of South Asians in pop culture.

Spoilers for episode three ahead

However, the latest episode of the superhero series has left some Muslim fans confused. In episode three, Kamala learns more about the source of her powers and it is revealed to be drastically different to her portrayal in the comic book.

Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan aka Ms Marvel. All photos: Marvel Studios

In the comics, Kamala discovers that she’s an Inhuman, part of a group of superhumans created by extraterrestrial race the Kree, when her dormant powers are activated after coming into contact with Terrigen Mist. However, the latest episode instead tied her powers to being a jinn.

The backstory in episode three explains how her great grandmother is a member of the ClanDestines, a group of jinn exiles from the Noor Dimension.

Iman Vellani on becoming Ms Marvel: 'I just hope it opens minds a little bit'

Kamala also learns that the bangle she finds, which belonged to her grandmother, helps her to channel Noor, a light power that all ClanDestines possess, but can't unlock fully outside of their own dimension.

Kamala later tells her best friend Bruno about the discovery. "I found out what I am, and it's not Asgardian or alien, or anything cool like that. I'm, like, the stuff of my childhood nightmares," she says, referencing the jinns' place in Islamic mythology. "See, there's, like, ghost stories, and then there's jinn stories, and the jinn stories are always worse because they're real."

This twist in Ms Marvel has left a number of Muslim fans feeling frustrated.

One fan tweeted that he was especially disappointed considering how much had been made of Ms Marvel being the first Muslim MCU superhero.

How is the first Muslim mcu superhero being a djinn an actual possibility. What are they thinking. Ms Marvel was going in a good direction too and otherwise it was a great episode. That’s a horrible change from the comics. So disappointing
— Aniq (@aniqrahman) June 22, 2022

Another fan questioned why Marvel would even bring in the storyline of being a jinn to begin with when it is a complicated concept.

#msmarvel djinn is such a complex concept already, why would they introduce it to a majority non Muslim audiences whose only knowledge of the djinn are from alaadin 😭
— Ali⚡️ (@spideyjamz) June 22, 2022

Another fan explained the problem with jinns and why it could put other Muslim fans off the show.

Djinn are considered very real in Islam, same level as angels. So far #MsMarvel has been a love letter to the Muslim American experience, but trivializing this could rub a lot of us the wrong way. https://t.co/jSC0q3zSKy
— MCUfeld (@MCUfeld) June 22, 2022

However, there are other fans who believe the jinn storyline could simply be a red herring and that there might still be more to Kamala's story.

Holding out for that Djinn reveal to be a misdirect. The hand with the bangle was blue so it could actually be Kree related, which would be so much better. #MsMarvel pic.twitter.com/98JVxMsDNW
— Hadeed Butt (@mhadeedbutt) June 22, 2022

There are three more episodes of Ms Marvel still to be aired, so there is plenty of time to see whether the storyline is a red herring or if Marvel has decided to go that way with the character.

The show was initially planned as a limited series to introduce Kamala into the MCU and to set up her appearance in the Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels. However, there is still hope for a second season.

"I mean, it is laid out as a limited series for her to go off and do other things," said Ms Marvel show writer Sana Amanat in an interview with Screen Rant. "It certainly establishes her [as a] hero. She will be going into The Marvels next, so that's kind of there. I hope we get a season two is all I'm going to say. I hope we're a part of that."

Scroll through the gallery below to see the stars at the premiere of 'Ms Marvel'