Iman Vellani

Iman Vellani is a Canadian actress and comics writer. She stars as Kamala Khan, also known as Ms. Marvel, within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Early life and education

Vellani was born in August 2002 in Karachi to a Sindhi family of Pakistani background. She moved to Canada when she was only 1 year old. She grew up as an Ismaili Muslim and attended Unionville High School in Markham, Ontario. During 2019, she served as a member of the TIFF Next Wave Committee at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Before her casting in Ms. Marvel during her final year of high school, Vellani planned to study integrated media at the Ontario College of Art & Design University.

Career

Acting

In September 2020, Marvel Studios revealed that Vellani was cast as Kamala Khan for a Disney+ streaming miniseries. Her aunt forwarded her a casting call for the role, which led to a self-tape submission. She eventually completed two screen tests—one in person during February and a virtual session via Zoom in June. During her Zoom test, co-creator Sana Amanat noted that Vellani's room was filled with Avengers merchandise. Amanat reported that the actress even showed her a closet full of Marvel items.

Vellani made her onscreen debut on June 8, 2022, when Ms. Marvel premiered on Disney+. The six-episode miniseries concluded on July 13, 2022. Critics offered praise for her performance, with Mohammad Zaheer of BBC Culture describing her as an adorable bundle of charisma. She reprised the role in the film The Marvels on November 10, 2023. While the film received polarizing reviews, Amelia Emberwing of IGN stated that Vellani predictably steals the show.

In September 2025, she provided the voice for an animated Kamala Khan in the series Marvel Zombies. Her non-Marvel acting career began when she was cast in Shiver on November 25, 2024. She also secured roles in Mouse by April 2025 and Suffering is Optional by May 2026, which serves as her first leading role in a feature film.

Writing

Vellani debuted as a comic writer in August 2023 with the four-issue limited series Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant. She co-wrote this series with Sabir Pirzada. The story follows Ms. Marvel as she explores her dual heritage as a mutant and an Inhuman. Following the conclusion of that series in November 2023, a sequel titled Ms. Marvel: Mutant Menace was announced. The first issue of this sequel arrived on March 6, 2024.

She continued writing Ms. Marvel issues with Pirzada, including Ms. Marvel Annual #1 in July 2024. She also contributed a short story to the Marvel 85th Anniversary Special in August 2024. In May 2026, it was announced that she would write her first solo comic book titled Chachu. This five-issue limited series is scheduled for publication by Image Comics and Tiny Onion starting on August 5, 2026.

Awards and recognition

Vellani won a Saturn Award for her performance in the Ms. Marvel miniseries. She also received nominations for an Astra TV Award and a Critics Choice Super Award.