‘Madam. Marvel CEO Mera Mennon explains how she relates to Kamala Khan and splits the training episode from the second episode.

lady wonder It couldn’t be more different than Mera Mennon’s recent experience at Marvel. PunisherBut Kamala Khan’s story certainly puts a deeper rope on the filmmaker. Like Kamala, Menon was raised by South Asian immigrants in New Jersey, so he jumped at the opportunity to help tell a story he wanted as a child. An Indian-American filmmaker who is a director. lady wonderThe second and third episodes made it clear to Marvel Studios early on that this project was particularly personal to him.

“I just wanted to be a part of it somehow, so I let it go. [Marvel Studios] I know that seeing this form of representation meant a lot to me. “It was a resemblance to my upbringing and it was really important to know that there was a part of pop culture that reflected my upbringing in many ways,” Menon said. the hollywood reporter.

in the last conversation THRMennon also breaks the rehearsal montage of the second episode, where Kamala first learns to use her new superpowers.

Good lady wonder Of course, it’s very different from your last show of a Marvel-related show. [The Punisher]. Do you find it hard to believe that both are now on Disney+?

(laughs.) Yes, I feel that way [The Punisher] It’s been a long time. not long ago [Jan. 18, 2019]But that just goes to show how fast everything is changing in terms of platforms.

how was your sister Adil and Bial? You probably had to maintain the appearance they formed, but did you still have enough freedom to do your thing?

I think so. It was a good deal for both of them. There were some things that were really obvious in your episode that we could go on, like certain aspects of the animation and camera movement, but there were other things that were unique in this episode and the next episode that we had to start from scratch. For example, there were longer scenes, deeper stories, and darker moments between Kamala and her confrontation with the source where this power comes from. There is also a new character in the form of Kamran. [Rish Shah]. There were a lot of new elements in the second episode that required more invention, but it all started in the place that Adil and Bilal built.

And just like these guys, you also led the way in the visual flourish, which is Kamala (candle magnet) Fantasy, right?

Yes, that’s all there is. When I say we, I mean me and my DP Carmen Cabana episode. We were really on a team to figure out how to replace Adil and Bilal and their DP [Robrecht Heyvaert]And it goes on like this, so it was a process of absolutely taking the emotional space that the script gave us, as well as the sequence where Kamala meets Kamran for the first time and is not interested in him. So our task was to understand the idea that he was really spoiling this guy and elevate the visual language around him. So it’s not necessarily something that has already been written, but Marvel has given us a really good opportunity to develop and come up with clever ways to convey those emotions.

One of the main points of any superhero origin story is the inevitable montage where they learn to use their superpowers. So can you talk about merging this sequel?

This sequence was constant work. We always change. We had different ideas and during the preparation we tried different things. We pre-animated and shot some scenes, then went back and shot some more. This sequel was a constant working draft of the document and really reflects how Kamala addresses her strengths in the story. You really don’t know what they are doing or how to use them properly. There has always been the idea that in addition to figuring out what light is and where it comes from, how it was formed and how to control it, you also need to be strong enough to benefit from it. So there was always a physical training component of the assembly, assembly by assembly.

And there was always a moment when I looked at Bruno [Matt Lintz] He plays a video game, he’s Donkey Kong the moment he realizes he can turn light into platforms he can jump on and create a car in the air. These components have always been there; How it gets there, when it gets there and how many things it tries to get there. So it was always happening and there was always some editing that was done perfectly almost to the end. We’ve done a lot for this, and we hope we’ve given publishers the opportunity to find the most succinct way to communicate this journey.

So when you first met Marvel Studios, what were those initial conversations like? What did you contact at that time?

I made it clear that from the moment I read the comics for the first time, I said, “When they do something about it, I hope to be in the arena. I hope to be closer to the arena and to be in the room for consideration.” I just wanted to be a part of it in some way, so I immediately informed them that it meant a lot to me to see this form of acting. For me it was really like that. It was to see the similarities of my upbringing, and it was really important to know that there was a part of pop culture that reflected my upbringing in many ways. Not in all ways, but in many ways. So I made it very clear, and then I liked the combination of themes. I’ve worked in many different genres and I like that there’s a little bit of everything in this show. It’s Family Story, Teen Romcom, Age Story, Superhero Story, Action Movie, Thriller. Are these really dark and tense moments with the villains when they show up? So there’s a little bit of everything, and I liked the mash-up.

The mosque scene is very specific. After seeing or hearing the stolen shoes and giving lectures, Kamala and Nakia (Jasmine Fletcher) became very frustrated with these issues. Are these the usual frustrations?

absolutely. Sana Amanati, co-creator and executive producer of the show, is the keeper and heartthrob of the story, and many of these stories have been tested by her and her personal experiences. And then there’s Bisha K Ali, who wrote the program and Adil and Bilal’s experiences in the Muslim community. So we had a whole team of cultural consultants who were constantly reviewing scripts and reviewing what we were going to shoot at any given time. So there have been a lot of people who have given this sequel their own experience and I hope at the end of the day it’s authentic as a lot of people put their lives and their own feelings on this topic. History.

well congratulations lady wonderAnd by the way, I loved you so much Stop and set fire Episode, “Signal to Noise”.

Oh my God! This is really cool. next to lady wonderThis is my favorite show I’ve ever done.

***
lady wonder Now streaming on Disney+.