‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Star Iman Vellani Reveals Exactly What She’d Do If She Ran the MCU

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has spent years building toward bigger crossovers, larger casts and increasingly interconnected stories, with Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan emerging as one of its most enthusiastic new heroes.

Since debuting as Ms. Marvel, Vellani has approached the franchise not only as an actor but also as a lifelong Marvel fan who has never been shy about sharing her thoughts on where the universe should go next.

That perspective has made her comments about the MCU particularly interesting, especially because Kamala herself is a character obsessed with superheroes and the idea of seeing them work together. Vellani has previously argued that Marvel should make audiences care more about its characters rather than simply making each new project bigger, while also expressing excitement about seeing newer heroes eventually interact.

Now, however, Vellani appears to have a slightly different idea of how Marvel should approach its increasingly crowded superhero universe. During a recent interview about her career and comic-book work, she was asked what she would do if she were handed control of the MCU, and her answer was surprisingly simple: she would “maybe do less team-ups.”

On the surface, that might sound strange coming from someone who has spent years campaigning for Kamala to meet other young heroes. But Vellani’s comments fit with something she has said before: the MCU works best when audiences have a reason to care about the people underneath the costumes, rather than simply being presented with increasingly enormous crossover events.

That philosophy was already evident when Vellani discussed Kamala’s future around the release of ‘The Marvels.’ Speaking to Cosmopolitan, she explained that she wanted Kamala to have room to exist within her own community, particularly Jersey City, instead of having that world constantly sidelined whenever another team-up arrives. She also remained enthusiastic about the possibility of a Young Avengers story, suggesting that the trick could be balancing solo adventures with larger team stories.

Vellani’s latest comment is therefore less a rejection of team-ups than a potential argument for using them more selectively. Her own MCU journey has already demonstrated how quickly a character can be pulled into the larger franchise, with Kamala moving from her Disney+ introduction into ‘The Marvels’ and subsequently becoming part of Marvel’s broader plans for its next generation of heroes.

That distinction could become increasingly important as Marvel heads toward its next major crossover. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is scheduled for December 18, 2026, and its enormous ensemble brings together characters from different corners of the MCU alongside the Fantastic Four and X-Men.

Vellani herself has recently discussed what she wants from that kind of spectacle. In an August interview on the Revenge Of podcast, she argued that universe-ending stakes can be exciting, but that Marvel needs to build toward them and make those stakes feel earned.

That idea becomes even more revealing when considering Vellani’s work outside the MCU. She recently appeared on the ‘Off Panel’ podcast to discuss her new creator-owned comic series ‘Chachu,’ along with her experiences writing comics and developing stories of her own.

Vellani has also previously demonstrated that her Marvel opinions aren’t simply coming from an actor protecting her character. She has written for Marvel Comics herself, including ‘Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant,’ giving her an unusually close understanding of how superhero stories can balance large-scale mythology with personal character arcs.

Whether Marvel would ever actually take production advice from one of its youngest stars is another question, but Vellani’s suggestion highlights a debate the MCU increasingly faces: bigger isn’t necessarily better if audiences stop feeling connected to the characters at the center of the spectacle.

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