Avengers: Doomsday already a winner? Ms. Marvel’s Iman Vellani reveals one big reason

Right, so Marvel Studios are gearing up for what could well be their next colossal event, Avengers: Doomsday. It’s drawing a fair bit of buzz — you’ve got the Russo brothers back in the director chairs (remember the last time they wrangled an Avengers line-up?), and for once, the X-Men are actually on the invitation list. Just to really keep everyone busy, it’s rumoured to be a proper multiverse blowout with enough MCU faces to make even the longest cast lists look a bit sheepish.

But if you ask Iman Vellani — the inescapably endearing Ms. Marvel herself — the size of your ensemble cast isn’t really what it’s all about. She had a few thoughts on the matter recently, and as ever, she didn’t hang about with flowery praise.

Vellani: Give Me Good Stories, Not Just Big Ones

Vellani popped up on the Revenge Of podcast for a wide-ranging Marvel natter, but it was her take on what actually makes a Marvel story land that stood out. Here’s her take, as told to the podcast listeners:

I’m such a sucker for simple stories. I think universe-ending stakes are exciting and they’re fun, but you’ve got to build up to that, and you’ve got to earn it. I think Marvel is doing a great job at what they have. The source material they’re adapting is really smart. Those books are a guaranteed good read — if Doomsday makes anyone go back and read Hickman’s run, I think that’s such a success on their part.

The 'Hickman run' she’s referencing is Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers/Secret Wars comics — a famously ambitious, bonkers ride through multiversal destruction, but also quite clever if you’ve got the patience to follow it.

Will Ms. Marvel Show Up in Doomsday?

This is the bit everyone’s guessing about: is Kamala Khan actually in Avengers: Doomsday? Officially, Marvel have said nothing. But the rumour mill’s working overtime, especially after a chat in April with Andy Serkis, who was interviewing Vellani at the time. There was a moment many fans are still chewing over: Serkis said, 'I'm excited to see you in Doomsday,' and Vellani — clearly aware of Marvel’s snipers lurking behind the curtain — replied:

No, you can’t say that.

Which tells you everything and nothing, all at once. She’s not admitting she’s in it, but she’s not exactly denying it either. The game continues.

What Vellani has been clear about, though, is what she actually wants for Ms. Marvel’s future — whether or not Kamala pops up in this super-sized mash-up. Speaking on Revenge of Comics, Vellani got into one of those passionate rants only proper comic nerds can deliver, explaining she does like Kamala mixing with the bigger superhero crowd, including the X-Men (which keeps happening in the comics as well), but she’s got a major soft spot for Kamala’s own little world and characters. She reckons Ms. Marvel is at her best being herself and not just another face in the superhero swarm.

• Avengers: Doomsday is the next big MCU event film, with the Russo brothers (of Infinity War and Endgame) directing.
• The film is heavily rumoured to feature major MCU names and the X-Men, based on Jonathan Hickman’s multiverse-heavy comics.
• Iman Vellani has not been officially confirmed as Ms. Marvel for the film, but speculation continues after a teasing comment from Andy Serkis in April 2026.
• Vellani wants any Kamala Khan appearance to retain what made the character distinctive, not just make her another team member lost in the crowd.

Marvel are publicly keeping their cards close for now — no confirmed cast list, no specific mention of Ms. Marvel turning up in Doomsday. All we really know is that if Vellani is involved, she’ll want to keep Kamala’s voice her own, even in the middle of whatever mad universe partly collapses this time round.