"Crushed" | |
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Ms. Marvel episode | |
Episode no. | Episode 2 |
Directed by | Meera Menon |
Written by | Kate Gritmon |
Cinematography by | Carmen Cabana |
Editing by |
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Original release date | June 15, 2022 |
Running time | 51 minutes |
Cast | |
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"Crushed" is the second episode of the American television miniseries Ms. Marvel , based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Ms. Marvel. It follows Kamala Khan as she begins to control her powers and learn more about her family history. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Kate Gritmon and directed by Meera Menon.
Iman Vellani stars as Kamala Khan, alongside Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Laurel Marsden, Arian Moayed, Alysia Reiner, Laith Nakli, Nimra Bucha, Azhar Usman, and Travina Springer. Menon joined the series by September 2020 to direct two episodes.
"Crushed" was released on Disney+ on June 15, 2022.
Kamala Khan begins training to control her powers with the help of Bruno Carrelli who deduces that the bangle activated Khan's powers, which came from within her. Dissatisfied with the male-dominated leadership of their Mosque Board, Khan's friend Nakia Bahadir decides to stand for elections. Khan, Bahadir, and Carrelli attend a party organized by Zoe Zimmer, where they meet Kamran, a new British-Pakistani senior at school. The party is cut short by the police, but Khan manages to make friends with Kamran. Carrelli becomes frustrated when Khan, infatuated with Kamran, chooses to spend time with him instead of training.
After having a vision of a mysterious woman and blacking out during a family dinner, Khan asks her grandmother Sana and Muneeba about Khan's great-grandmother Aisha, the original owner of the bangle, but both dismiss her. Yusuf says that young Sana had lost her way in the violence of the Partition of India, but was able to find her father almost mysteriously. After questioning Zimmer about her savior at AvengerCon, Department of Damage Control (DODC) agents P. Cleary and Sadie Deever order a sweep around the tri-state area, targeting South Asian communities. At the annual Eid al-Adha celebration, a young boy slips from a balcony and almost falls before Khan rescues him using her powers. She momentarily falters after having another vision of the woman. Khan is followed by DODC drones and agents led by Deever who attempt to apprehend her, but Kamran helps her escape in his car and introduces Khan to his mother, the woman in her visions.
By August 2019, Marvel Studios had begun development on a Ms. Marvel television series for the streaming service Disney+. [1] In September 2020, Meera Menon was hired to direct one episode, [2] [3] ultimately directing two episodes, including the second. [4] Executive producers include Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Brad Winderbaum, in addition to Kamala Khan co-creator Sana Amanat, lead directors Adil & Bilall, and head writer Bisha K. Ali. [4] The second episode, titled "Crushed", [5] was written by Kate Gritmon. [6]
The episode features scenes directly referencing moments from early Ms. Marvel comics, including when Khan drinks orange juice with alcohol at a party, and Khan and Nakia Bahadir unable to hear Sheikh Abdullah at their mosque. [7] Yasmeen Fletcher called Bahadir's monologue in the episode about her decision to wear a hijab "extremely gratifying" as she had not heard "the mixed experience" discussed in that way in media before because it always felt like "a niche topic". [8]
The episode stars Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, Matt Lintz as Bruno Carrelli, Yasmeen Fletcher as Nakia Bahadir, Zenobia Shroff as Muneeba Khan, Mohan Kapur as Yusuf Khan, Saagar Shaikh as Aamir Khan, Rish Shah as Kamran, Laurel Marsden as Zoe Zimmer, Arian Moayed as P. Cleary, Alysia Reiner as Sadie Deever, Laith Nakli as Sheikh Abdullah, Nimra Bucha as Najma, Azhar Usman as Najaf, and Travina Springer as Tyesha Hillman. [9] : 45:31–46:01 Also starring are Samina Ahmed as Sana, Anjali Bhimani as Auntie Ruby, Matthew J. Vasquez as Miguel, Sophia Mahmud as Auntie Zara, Ishan Gandhi as Hameed, Iyad Hajjaj as Uncle Rasheed, and Nandini Minocha as Auntie Humaira. [9] : 46:41 Adil & Bilall make cameo appearances as a man in the mosque and one of the "Mosque Bros", respectively. [10]
External videos | |
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Marvel Studios' Ms. Marvel: End Credits Main On End Title Sequence Episode 2 presents the episode's main-on-end title sequence, YouTube video from Perception's channel |
The series' main-on-end title sequence was designed by Perception [11] who filmed the sequence in Jersey City to pay homage to Khan's character, while also designing the murals themselves. The inspiration for the design is to show Jersey City from Khan's point of view while "celebrating the comic books and their artwork that this series is based on". [12]
Filming took place at Trilith Studios, Blackhall Studios, and Areu Brothers Studios, [13] with Menon directing the episode, [4] and Carmen Cabana serving as cinematographer. [14] Establishing shots were also filmed in New Jersey. [13]
Menon spoke about continuing on from first episode directors Adil and Bilall, saying aspects such as the animation and camera movements were retained, while her and Cabana were able to put their own "visual language" around Khan's imagination, and create things that were unique to this episode, such as the "longer scenes, deeper backstories and darker moments between Kamala and her confrontation with the source of where this power is coming from". Menon called Khan's training montage of her learning how to use her powers as "a constant work in progress", noting it keep changing through all parts of production as they were trying different things. She felt this was "really reflective of the way Kamala approaches her powers in the story". A lot of footage was shot for this sequence, with the hope that the edit could "find the most concise way" to show her "[realizing] that she can shape the light into platforms she can jump on". [14] Kamala saving the young boy at the mosque was meant to be "a bit more improvised and more jagged and definitely more flawed of an attempt at a superhero save". [15]
Visual effects for the episode were created by Method Studios, Framestore London and Montreal, Trixter, RISE, Folks VFX, Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies, Base FX, SSVFX, Stereo D, Cantina Creative, Instinctual, Digital Domain, FuseFX, and Moving Picture Company. [9] : 47:53–48:22 [16]
The following songs were included in the episode: "Feel So Good" by Mase, "Goddess" by Krewella, Nervo, and Raja Kumari, "Come Around" by Timbaland and M.I.A., "Keep on Movin" by B. Stew, "Anthem" by Swet Shop Boys, "Sage" by Ritviz, "Attitude" by PayAttention, "Peechay Hutt" by Hassan Raheem, Justin Bibis, and Talal Qureshi, "Jalebi Baby" by Tesher, "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes, "Aye Khuda" by Aslam Afzal, Farhad B, Vimal K, and Atif Afzal, and "Husan" by Husan & Bhangra Knights. [5]
A QR code was included in the episode that allowed viewers to access a free digital copy of Ms. Marvel's debut solo series, Ms. Marvel (2014) #15, which was the first appearance of Kamran. [17] [18] After the episode's release, Marvel announced merchandise inspired by the episode as part of its weekly "Marvel Must Haves" promotion for each episode of the series, including AvengerCon Kamala Khan and Bruno Funko Pops, apparel, and accessories. [19]
"Crushed" was released on Disney+ on June 15, 2022. [20] It was released in Pakistan as part of a special theatrical release through licenser HKC Entertainment, due to Disney+ not being available in the country at that time, on June 16, 2022 along with the first episode. [21] [22] The episode aired on ABC as part of The Wonderful World of Disney , along with the first and third episodes, on August 5, 2023. [23]
According to market research company Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, Ms. Marvel saw a 17% increase in demand after its second episode aired on June 15. The series ranked as the fifth most in-demand breakout show from June 11 to June 17, 2022, which is defined as the most in-demand series that have premiered in the past 100 days, up from ninth place last week, and had 20.1 times more demand than the average show in the U.S. during this period. [24] The streaming aggregator Reelgood, which monitors real-time data from 5 million users in the U.S. for original and acquired streaming programs and movies across subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) and ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) services, reported that Ms. Marvel was the third most-watched series for the week ending June 18, 2022. [25] Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the more than 21 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, calculated that Ms. Marvel was the fourth most-streamed original series for the week ending June 19, 2022. [26]
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 97% approval rating with an average rating of 8.00/10, based on 89 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "The adventures of Kamala Khan achieve a charming verisimilitude in this sophomore installment, which smartly considers the challenges of fitting outsized powers into the box of parental expectations." [27]
Ariba Bhuvad of Winter Is Coming gave "Crushed" an "A" and praised the episode for exploring the mystery of Kamala Khan's powers while effectively capturing the emotional ups and downs of teenage life. She complimented the show's authentic portrayal of cultural experiences, particularly in a mosque scene, and valued a significant conversation about the complications of wearing a hijab. Bhuvad found the exploration of Khan's ancestral connection to her powers intriguing, which added depth to the storyline. [28] Kirsten Howard of Den of Geek rated the episode four out of five stars, praising its engaging exploration of Kamala Khan's character and powers. She highlighted the show's fresh take on Khan's comic origins and complimented the intriguing dynamics introduced, particularly her struggle with newly awakened powers tied to her family's history and the Partition. Howard noted that the episode's tone was more relaxed than the premiere, allowing for deeper character development. She expressed anticipation for future episodes to further explore Khan's powers and background. [29]
Discussing the incorporation of the Partition of India into Khan's origin story, Usama Masood at Collider said, "For the MCU to dive into the turbulent time of the subcontinent is surprising given Marvel's penchant for staying out of anything remotely complex. Yet the series has tweaked Kamala's generic Inhuman transformation arc and made her out to be something more, tying her powers and therefore strengths explicitly with her culture and background." Masood added that the series has portrayed the history and culture of Islamic and Pakistani culture with "great accuracy." [30]
Gwendolyn Willow Wilson is an American comics writer, prose author, and essayist. Her best-known prose works include the novels Alif the Unseen (2012) and The Bird King (2019). She is best known for relaunching the Ms. Marvel title for Marvel Comics starring a 16-year-old Muslim superhero named Kamala Khan. Her work is most often categorized as magical realism.
Kamala Khan is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, Kamala is Marvel's first major Muslim protagonist character and South Asian American personality with her own comic book. In the Marvel Universe, she is a teenage Pakistani-American from Jersey City, New Jersey with body-morphing abilities who discovers that she has Inhuman genes in the aftermath of the "Inhumanity" storyline. She assumes the mantle of Ms. Marvel from her idol, Carol Danvers, after Danvers becomes Captain Marvel.
Ms. Marvel is the name of several superheroines appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was originally conceived as a female counterpart to the superhero Mar-Vell / Captain Marvel. Like Captain Marvel, most of the bearers of the Ms. Marvel codename gain their powers through Kree technology or genetics. The first incarnation of Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #13. The second incarnation, Sharon Ventura, debuted in The Thing #27. The third incarnation, Karla Sofen, made her first appearance in Captain America #192. The fourth and current incarnation, Kamala Khan, made her debut in Captain Marvel #14.
Sana Amanat is an American comic book editor and an executive of production and development at Marvel Studios, having formerly been the Director of Content and Character Development at Marvel Comics. She has worked on comics such as Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, and Ms. Marvel. Amanat is known for co-creating Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, the first Muslim-American superhero with a solo Marvel Comics series.
Matthew Lintz is an American actor. He is best known for playing an older version of Henry in the AMC television series The Walking Dead (2018–2019) and Bruno Carrelli in the Disney+ miniseries Ms. Marvel (2022).
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Ms. Marvel is an American television miniseries created by Bisha K. Ali for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics featuring the character Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel. It is the seventh television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It follows Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old fangirl of the Avengers who struggles to fit in until she gains her own powers. Ali served as head writer with Adil & Bilall leading the directing team.
Iman Vellani is a Canadian actress and comic book writer. She starred as Kamala Khan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) miniseries Ms. Marvel (2022) and Marvel Zombies (2024) and the film The Marvels (2023). Vellani has also appeared as Khan in other Disney productions and has co-written two Ms. Marvel limited series.
Yasmeen Tori Fletcher is an American actress and musician. She is best known for her role as Nakia Bahadir in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel (2022).
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on superhero films/other series starring various titular superheroes independently produced by Marvel Studios: based on characters that appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The shared universe, much like the original Marvel Universe in comic books, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters. Due to the galaxy-spanning nature of the franchise, multiple different species have been introduced.
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Kamala Khan is a fictional character portrayed by Iman Vellani in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise—based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name—commonly known by her alias, Ms. Marvel. Kamala is a teenage Pakistani-American mutant from Jersey City, New Jersey who idolizes Carol Danvers and unlocks her dormant cosmic energy powers from the Noor dimension.
Marvel Zombies is an upcoming American animated television miniseries created by Zeb Wells for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It is intended to be one of the television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios Animation, and explores an alternate timeline in the multiverse introduced in the What If...? episode "What If... Zombies?!" (2021), in which a group of survivors must fight former heroes and villains who are now zombies. Wells serves as head writer and Bryan Andrews directs.
"Generation Why" is the first episode of the American television miniseries Ms. Marvel, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Ms. Marvel. It follows Kamala Khan, a fangirl of the Avengers, particularly Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, as she tries to attend AvengerCon, only to gain her own powers. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by head writer Bisha K. Ali and directed by Adil & Bilall.
"Destined" is the third episode of the American television miniseries Ms. Marvel, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Ms. Marvel. It follows Kamala Khan as she learns of the Clandestines. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Freddy Syborn, A. C. Bradley, and Matthew Chauncey, from a story by Syborn. The episode was directed by Meera Menon.
"Seeing Red" is the fourth episode of the American television miniseries Ms. Marvel, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Ms. Marvel. It follows Kamala Khan as she travels to Karachi, Pakistan to learn more about her mysterious bangle. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Sabir Pirzada, A. C. Bradley, and Matthew Chauncey, with a story by Pirzada. The episode was directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
"Time and Again" is the fifth episode of the American television miniseries Ms. Marvel, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Ms. Marvel. It follows Kamala Khan, who time-travels from the present to 1947, and her great-grandmother Aisha before and during the partition of India. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Fatimah Asghar and directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
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Marvel Studios asked our team at Perception to help create a dynamic main on end title sequence for their newest series on Disney+, Ms. Marvel. Our team filmed this entire sequence in Jersey City, New Jersey, paying homage to Kamala Khan's character, her background, and the culture and energy of Jersey City. We also designed each of the bright, colorful murals shown throughout this sequence. This sequence represents Jersey City from Kamala's point of view while also celebrating the comic books and their artwork that this series is based on.