Summary

Marvel Comics writer Cody Ziglar revealed Marvel Studios’ decision to make Ms. Marvel a mutant came from Kevin Feige himself.
Kamala Khan’s transformation aligns her closer with the X-Men characters following Marvel’s acquisition of Fox.
Controversy arose online with fans criticizing the forced alignment of comic book plots with cinematic counterparts.

Marvel Comics writer Cody Ziglar recently disclosed that the decision to eliminate Ms. Marvel, only to reintroduce her as a mutant, was directed by Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige. In response, Marvel has denied the claims, stating that the storyline was a collective editorial decision that had been planned for a while now.

During an interview on the Amazing Spider-Talk podcast, Marvel writer Cody Ziglar talked about the internal decision-making processes at Marvel Studios. According to Ziglar, the directive to transform Kamala Khan from her comic book origins as an Inhuman to a mutant in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) came directly from Feige himself. This change aligns her more closely with Marvel Studios’ recent acquisition of the rights to the X-Men characters, enabling new creative possibilities.

Ziglar recounted that Zeb Wells, the writer responsible for The Amazing Spider-Man #26 issue where Kamala meets her demise, was informed of this decision well in advance. Feige rarely intervenes so directly in the comic book storylines. However, in this instance, he felt it was necessary to adjust the course to better suit the evolving narrative of the MCU. Ziglar said:

“Feige was like, ‘I don’t do this very often, but can you please just do this to make things in line with Marvel [Studios] because we have some stuff we want to do with Kamala.’”

The decision was met with controversy. Fans expressed their discontent online, criticizing the move as a forced alignment of comic book plots with their cinematic counterparts. Ziglar expressed sympathy for Wells, who bore the brunt of fan dissatisfaction online, noting humorously,

“It was funny watching him get savaged online knowing that he’s sort of the guy who had to answer the call of Daddy Feige to make this sacrifice.”

The Controversial Shift of Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel

The recent finale of Ms. Marvel series on Disney+ delivered a surprising twist—Kamala is revealed to be a mutant. This significant shift from her original designation as an Inhuman in the comic books serves as a plot twist and also a strategic alignment with Marvel Studios’ expanded universe. Since acquiring Fox, Marvel now has the rights to integrate X-Men into its burgeoning universe, which likely influenced this pivot.

Originally introduced in 2014, Kamala Khan was a fresh face in the Marvel lineup. As an Inhuman, she symbolized a new direction for superhero identities. However, the attempt to set Inhumans as a substitute for mutants was met with resistance from the audience. This was particularly evident following the less-than-stellar reception of the MCU’s Inhumans miniseries in 2017. Subsequently, Marvel Studios, under the guidance of Kevin Feige, decided to dial back the emphasis on Inhumans.

Related Ms. Marvel: How the MCU Changed Kamala Khan’s Powers (& Why) The Marvel Cinematic Universe drastically changed Ms. Marvel’s powers in a way that set up her role in The Marvels and the arrival of the X-Men.

The decision to end Kamala’s life in the series—and pivot her identity to that of a mutant—was fraught with implications. Zeb Wells, the writer who penned the fateful episode, expressed a sense of reluctant acceptance over his role in this crucial moment. The writer said:

“I’m the guy that drew the short straw.
People are going to be very mad that I have to kill Ms. Marvel.
”

This sentiment was echoed by Dan Gvozden, Amazing Spider-Talk’s host, during his conversation with interviewer Ziglar. Gvozden commented on the inevitability of a major character’s demise, noting the longstanding speculation that it might have been MJ, another fan favorite, instead of Kamala.