Ms. Marvel’s directors say episode 1’s biggest action sequence wasn’t in the script
The climax of the pilot episode of the Disney Plus series Ms. Marvel seems like it was designed for freeze-framers, screencappers, and “all the Easter eggs you missed” listicle-writers. The setting is dense with in-jokey references, and the action moves incredibly quickly, with a montage blitzing past dozens of characters and settings.
Belgian filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, producers on the show who directed the pilot and episode 6 of the six-episode opening season, say that sequence was the highlight of their work on the show, and of their directing career in general. El Arbi and Fallah, who have worked together since film school, previously collaborated on the 2020 Bad Boys sequel Bad Boys For Lifeand the Belgian crime thrillers Black and Gangsta. They’re currently in post-production on the DC Extended Universe movieBatgirl. But they say Ms. Marvel is where they’ve enjoyed themselves most in their career — including giving a specific look to an action sequence that was only a vague overview in the script they were given.
[Ed. note: Spoilers ahead for episode 1 of Ms. Marvel.]
Most of the first episode of Ms. Marvel is built around introducing 16-year-old Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Muslim girl living in New Jersey and daydreaming about the superheroes that have become the superstars of her world. She’s particularly obsessed with Captain Marvel, and she’s put together a cosplay outfit that she’s excited to wear to a costume contest at a local fan gathering dubbed AvengerCon.
“It was the most fun set we’ve ever had,” El Arbi tells Polygon. “We were there taking pictures, playing with all the toys, and the producer had to grab us and focus us on the directing, because we were just having so much fun. It was
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