Iman Vellani didn't know she was going to be a main character in upcoming Captain Marvel follow-up The Marvels until the day Disney was set to publicly announce it.
The actor, who made her MCU as Kamala Khan in Disney Plus series Ms. Marvel a couple of weeks ago, recently sat down with Variety, where she was asked about her involvement in the superhero sequel. In it, Kamala will be seen teaming up with Brie Larson's Carol Danvers and Teyonah Parris's Monica Rambeau, who was introduced in WandaVision – but, for ages, Vellani figured she'd just have a small role.
"It was a night shoot when they were announcing everything at Disney Investor Day," the 19 year old explained. "Right before they announced The Marvels cast, I get a text from Disney PR, I get a text from Brie Larson and I get a text from our producers all at the same time saying I'm in the movie and then they announced it on the screen. I was like, 'Thank you.' I had a hunch I was going to be in it, but more of a cameo role, not an actual main character, so it was cool."
Opening up about The Marvels director Nia DaCosta, who previously helmed pictures such as Little Woods and Candyman, Vellani described her as her "favorite human ever" and "very much an actor's director."
She continued: "I think she's so talented and so caring and considerate. Like, after she gets a take she wants, she's like 'This is yours. Do whatever you want. Anything we haven't tried, just do it.' She would always give positive reinforcement, even if she didn't have any notes. She'd be like 'That little thing you did with your hand, I really liked that.' And I'm like, 'Oh, wow. She noticed!' She really cares and checks up on you."
Two episodes into Ms. Marvel, we've seen Kamala discover that she has superhuman abilities that allow her to manifest crystallised bursts of light. By the end of the show's six-episode run, we'll likely have learned the true origin of her powers, and she'll have managed to get a handle on them, which will lead into her part in The Marvels.
While we wait for the third, why not use our roundup of the best shows on Disney Plus for some viewing inspiration, or check out Total Film's exclusive chat with Ms. Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.
Fantastic Four star says the Marvel movie "will go down in history" for rejuvenating the MCU, "in the same way the Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther hit"
Paul Rudd is still thinking about that one Thanos and Ant-Man fan theory: "I often wonder, though, could he really have stopped Thanos in that way?"
