Saladin Ahmed to Launch 'The Magnificent Ms. Marvel'

A new phase for Kamala Khan is officially beginning! It was announced today on Entertainment Weekly that Saladin Ahmed (MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN, BLACK BOLT) would take over writing duties for Ms. Marvel after original writer and co-creator G. Willow Wilson stepped aside. THE MAGNIFICENT MS. MARVEL, written by Ahmed with art by Minkyu Jung and a cover by Eduard Petrovich, will make its debut in March 2019.

Marvel.com asked the Eisner Award-winning writer about his plans for Jersey City's local hero.

Marvel.com: Coming off of MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN, you’re now going to be working on THE MAGNIFICENT MS. MARVEL and the great Kamala Khan. Do you see any similarities between these two characters?

Saladin Ahmed: I don't think it's too much to say that together Miles and Kamala are sort of the face of the new Marvel generation. Teenagers whose names and faces reflect the America around us. Characters based outside the usual Manhattan center of gravity. They're very different from one another on a bunch of levels -- both are sort of modern avatars of classic Marvel heroism.

Marvel.com: What kinds of subjects do you explore with younger heroes than you do with older ones?

Saladin Ahmed: I don't know if it's exploring different subjects so much as it is looking at subjects form a different angle. I think teenagers -- standing as they do between childhood and adulthood -- have a unique insight that comes from being part of both worlds. It's a unique way of looking at the world, and Marvel stories have always understood that. And Kamala, with her geeky enthusiasm and her deep sense of responsibility is the embodiment of this.

Marvel.com: Kamala and Miles have worked together before – will there be any crossover in THE MAGNIFICENT MS. MARVEL?

Saladin Ahmed: Gosh, that would be telling! But I will say that writing these sort of adjacent books is a unique opportunity and I'd be a fool not to take advantage of the opportunity! 

Marvel.com: What kinds of adventures/battles will Ms. Marvel be fighting -- both in and out of uniform -- while you write her?

Saladin Ahmed: Without giving too much away, Ms. Marvel's been pretty fortunate in the way she's been able to manage her family's knowledge of and reactions to her superheroics. That's going to change for the worse, with some pretty heavy consequences.

As far as those superheroics go, Kamala will continue to protect Jersey City from street-level threats that speak to our times. But Ms Marvel's world will also grow in a big way in this series -- and her adventures will take her not only across the globe, but to the stars.

Marvel.com: Minkyu Jung is a fresh face at Marvel and a rising star as an artist – what was it like working with him on THE MAGNIFICENT MS. MARVEL? What kind of direction did you give him?

Saladin Ahmed: We're still in the very early stages here, so the collaboration has just begun. But Minkyu's style is going to be shaping this book in a big way. Kamala's been in the hands of some *brilliant* artists the past few years and we want to respect to all that's come before -- the book isn't suddenly going to look 'gritty.' But Minkyu will definitely be taking the visuals of the book in a new, perhaps slightly darker, direction that will match the story.

Marvel.com: And finally, since we can’t NOT bring it up – MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #1 came out this week, the same week as “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” What is your world even like right now? How do you feel hearing fans embracing Miles Morales?

Saladin Ahmed: It's AMAZING. I did a signing here in Detroit a couple of days ago, and the enthusiasm is off the charts. I expect that will only increase as more and more people see the movie.

THE MAGNIFICENT MS. MARVEL, written by Ahmed with art by Minkyu Jung and a cover by Eduard Petrovich, will make its debut in March 2019! Stay tuned to Marvel.com for more news!