Where Does Iman Vellani Think Marvel Can Improve? Start With The Fandom [Exclusive]

It's a shame that Nia DaCosta's "The Marvels" failed to draw in mainstream moviegoers because, despite the film's flaws, they're missing out on a star-making performance from Iman Vellani, who steals the film from its lead, Brie Larson, as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. For those who've kept up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe's myriad Disney+ spinoff shows, Vellani's brilliance won't come as a surprise. She proved she was the goods during the series' first (and possibly only) season run, and effortlessly brought her charisma to the big screen. She's only 21 years old, and she is going to be unstoppable.

And if Marvel Studios knows what they're doing, they're going to shake off the box office disappointment of "The Marvels" and find a way to do justice by Vellani's Khan. Because she's not only the Marvel Cinematic Universe's brightest new star, she genuinely loves being a part of this world.

Had the AMPTP done the right thing and made a fair deal with SAG-AFTRA earlier, Vellani would've slayed on the publicity circuit. She would've dazzled on talk shows and charmed the hell out of the junket press. Most importantly, she would've been able to address the issue of "superhero fatigue" that's been dogging the industry after the underwhelming commercial performances of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," "Black Adam," and "Shazam! Fury of the Gods." Vellani is a true believer, and she thinks the comic book movie backlash is unwarranted.

In an exclusive interview with /Film's Ethan Anderton, Vellani was asked how Marvel Studios could improve their films. "I think Marvel ... they know where they go wrong," she said, "And they know how to fix it. It takes time to get there." Interestingly, she thinks the most important adjustment needs to come from the fans, and how they engage with the movies. Per Vellani:

"I would like to see improvement within the fandom. I think people need to be a little more positive. These fandoms, the whole point of them is so that people who are passionate about these nerdy things, they can talk about it without being judged and can share their excitement with the only other people in the entire world who will reciprocate. So, it would just be like Marvel, they're growing and they're adjusting to the times, they're listening and responding to the fans' criticisms and feedback. So I think people just need to be a little patient and let them cook."

She went on to caution fans against reading too much into behind-the-scenes turmoil (which, according to Variety, there was plenty of during the making of "The Marvels"). She correctly noted an all-time classic like "The Wizard of Oz" was a struggle to make. "The Marvels" is not in that film's class, but her larger point — that it's of no consequence to moviegoers as to how the sausage gets made — it's if it's one worth taking. This is how a perfectly entertaining movie like Elaine May's "Ishtar" got branded a stinker before anyone had seen the movie. You may not like "The Marvels," but take the film on its own terms. So what if the movie was wildly expensive? It's not your money! Just let the film be the film.

"The Marvels" is now playing in theaters everywhere.