Recently, mega-franchises like Marvel have worked on undoing past injustices by focusing on characters from marginalized communities and expanding the racial diversity of their cast members. Nonetheless, Marvel still has a long way to make up for its lack of diversity and must address some serious issues. Many diverse groups are still underrepresented within their projects, sparking the notion that minority communities are given their roles to appease displeased fans. While the phrase “cinematic universe” hints at limitless possibility, the irony is that this world is centered around white men. Only recently has that changed significantly, resulting in the MCU’s most diverse movies and TV shows ever.

From beloved Shang-Chi in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" to esteemed “Black Panther” character T'Challa, King of Wakanda, both of whom worked to break numerous records, winning the audience’s affection, as well as financial success and rave reviews. Having received that response, they signaled a rising demand for diversity, which led Marvel to create a new era of representation. This included working on female inclusivity, allowing superheroines to take over the big screen without needing a male counterpart to lead the narrative.

And so, as phase four of the MCU approached our screens, Marvel confirmed the appearance of Ms. Marvel: a comic book-turned TV show following Kamala Khan, a superhero fanatic 16-year-old Muslim Pakistani-American who soon discovers she has supernatural abilities of her own. While Iman Vellani makes a remarkable debut as Kamala Khan alongside her talented co-stars, the crew is what truly captures the crucial parts of the show, wildly succeeding in taking on a cultural and religious weight as Ms. Marvel. Ms. Marvel, crafted by a majority of Muslim and South Asian creatives, neither glorifies nor demonizes Islam; instead, everyday practices of Muslim and South Asian communities exist as part of their lives, straying away from feeling tokenistic to the minority.

Ms. Marvel disagrees with typical South Asian cultural tropes, like having their characters regress to exaggerated accents. Instead, it gives these South Asian characters the nuanced narrative they deserve, capturing the grace of their societies. Their inclusion is not depicted as satire as it often is in shows.

"For too long Hollywood and the media have relied on reductive, one dimensional monolithic characters, as well as lazy signposting," said Rifat Malik, who runs American Muslim Today.

Ms. Marvel kicks off the first episode with a screencap of Kamala’s brother praying for her to pass her driver’s test. Despite being common, practices like Kamala whispering ‘Bismillah’ (In the name of Allah) during a driving test are rarely portrayed in mainstream media. It is refreshing to see depictions of details that may seem mundane finally make their way to mainstream Hollywood, without the not-so-subtly attached Islamophobia. Ms. Marvel’s brilliance comes from its authentic perspective and the way it speaks to its audience with little puns and jokes that are incredibly specific. For instance, the jab at shoe thieves at the mosque is something others may have easily missed, but most Muslims and South Asians caught it right away. Meanwhile, in follow-up episodes, we are given a glance at the practice of praying in mosques and the performing of wudu (the ritual of washing before prayer), everyday practices in Islam. While the creatives excelled in manifesting these small details in Ms. Marvel, the more significant scenes showcased the beauty of Islam and South Asian culture. Aamir and Tyesha’s wedding truly stood out in terms of positive representation.

During the first episode, Kamala and her mother are shown shopping for an upcoming ceremony deemed one of the most significant occurrences in South Asian cultures — a wedding. It takes place later in the third episode, where the audience is treated to the beauty of South Asian weddings. Kamala is seen fitted into popular South Asian wear, shalwar kameez.

As the festivities commence, the camera pans from the lighting and dance sequences to the gossiping aunties. The wedding truly paid homage to the intricate nature of weddings, having a cast and line of creatives from mainly South Asian lineage who worked on integrating their real life experiences into the scene.

During the ceremony, Sheik Abdullah, who is officiating the wedding, calls for Takbir (the phrase “Allah-u-Akbar”). All those present then cheerily exclaim “Allah-u-Akbar” as the shot sets on Kamala, who repeats the phrase as the crowd lovingly erupt into applause. Over the years, Hollywood has stripped the phrase “Allah-u-Akbar,” God is Great, of all its substance, linking it to acts of terrorism and unlawful behavior because sadly, those who taint its meaning are driven by ignorance or even prejudice and bigotry. Once the world is exposed to Islam in its natural settings, it will finally allow for Islamic language to be associated with its complex, nuanced meanings rather than its limited ones.

So, hearing “Allah-u-Akbar'' repeated in mainstream Hollywood, defying all negative associations, was a welcome surprise. “No group should be painted with one brush. We’ve known that since the inception of the comics and we knew we would deal with many different experiences. Islam is a pluralistic faith and I strongly believe that we are not a monolith,” said Sana Amanat, Ms. Marvel's co-creator.

Unconventional roles like this one beat expectations with flying colors. Throughout Ms. Marvel, characters repeat the words inscribed on the bangle given to Kamala by her great-grandmother: “What you seek is seeking you.” For too long, Muslims and South Asians have sought representation that is not one dimensional but complex and gratifying. And while we are not truly there yet, notable Muslim and South Asian representation has made its way into mainstream media, and negative depictions of both Islam and South Asian cultures are now meaningfully countered one step at a time. Unfortunately, we often need to erase our identities to blend in with those around us, especially when coming from marginalized communities. That is, however, what Ms. Marvel fights.

The show is unapologetic in the way it shows off Islam and South Asian cultures and will draw you into those worlds. Watching this show will help those of South Asian and Muslim lineage in the audience understand what it means to be a South Asian Muslim and hopefully spark a feeling of self-confidence in their own identities.

After all, how often do you see a lead Muslim protagonist in an American television series? Not often enough.