From super fan to superhero: Canada's Iman Vellani on her journey to playing "Ms. Marvel" (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

When Iman Vellani was in high school, she read all of the Ms. Marvel comic books.

In fact, she was such a big fan that she cosplayed as the Pakistani American heroine for Halloween.

“She was very much a prominent figure in my life,” the Canadian actress told Daily Hive.

15 year old Iman Vellani made a Ms. Marvel suit for Halloween and all her friends thought she was The Flash😭. Years later now she IS Ms. Marvel in the MCU. Like woww pic.twitter.com/PbRPdbnj7E

— carlos✧ (@CINEPAPI) June 1, 2022

Little did Vellani know that she would go from being a super fan to becoming her fave superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The 19-year-old, who hails from Markham, Ontario, is set to star in the Disney+ adaptation of Ms. Marvel, which premieres June 8.

“It’s honestly such a privilege and I’m honoured that Marvel even trusts me to bring this character to life,” said Vellani.

The show follows Muslim American teenager Kamala Khan (played by Vellani) growing up in Jersey City. She’s a mega fan of Captain Marvel and has always dreamed of living the life of a superhero.

“It’s not really the brown girls from Jersey City who save the world,” Kamala says in the trailer.

Kamala feels like she doesn’t fit in at school and sometimes even at home — until she gets super powers and finds out what life is really like as a hero.

This is Vellani’s first major acting role, and she landed it on her last day of high school.

“My friends and I were going to go celebrate and go thrifting or something. I was on my friend’s driveway when I get the text from our casting directors and they’re like, ‘Can you get on this call?'” she said.

We chatted with the up-and-coming star about this surprise call from MCU execs, the importance of Muslim and South Asian representation, her love for film at a young age, and a Canadian icon that she idolizes the way Kamala does Captain Marvel.

You might also like:
• Disney's "Ms. Marvel" trailer is here, starring Canada's Iman Vellani (VIDEO)
• Canadian Iman Vellani to play Ms. Marvel in new superhero movie
• Simu Liu's epic "I am Canadian!" JUNOs speech is inspired by this classic 2000s commercial (VIDEOS)

Can you tell us a little bit about how you found out you were cast as Ms. Marvel, and how it felt to be cast in a Marvel show for your first big role?

My friends and I were going to go celebrate and go thrifting or something. I was on my friend’s driveway when I get the text from our casting directors and they were like, “Can you get on this call?” And I was like, no…my friends didn’t know I had auditioned!

They were like, “We just sent you the link get on winky face.”

I was like, “Okay. I think I know what this means. I don’t know if I’m ready to hear it!”

So, I just open my phone and it’s Kevin Feige’s face and I’m freaking out, and my friends are super confused because they don’t know who I’m talking to. I was trying not to have a reaction because they didn’t know, but that went down the drain pretty fast. They told me I got the part and I went back into the car and told my friends and we got burritos!

What does it mean for you to represent Pakistani and Muslim communities on screen?

Film and TV literally shape how we see people in this world, and so often Muslims have been represented in such a one-dimensional way.

I think it’s incredible that a company as big and as accessible as Marvel is providing space for characters like Kamala, like Shang-Chi and like Black Panther to thrive and exist and take up space.

I hope this kind of inspires future generations of filmmakers, actors, artists, and creatives to tell their story. Ms. Marvel is just the start and we cannot represent all two billion Muslims and South Asians in the world. This is one specific story about one specific girl and yeah, I think we do justice by her.

You aren’t the only Canadian in the MCU right now. Have you received any advice or wisdom from Simu Liu about being thrown into all this?

We’ve talked, but very briefly. He was super supportive and super excited about the show and it’s really nice to know that you have people like Simu Liu on your side. But yeah, I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk too much with him. He’s doing Barbie right now, so a little busy, but one day!

You were a part of the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) Next Wave committee of young film enthusiast, so I was wondering where your love for film and acting came from?

I don’t know if I can pinpoint one thing. I really got into like Tarantino movies when I was starting off in high school and that kind of spiralled into me falling in love with like the ’70s and ’80s just because of the type of music he would use.

Then I was trying to be the artsy kid watching arthouse movies and really obscure Czechoslovakian films and Swedish movies. I was just so enamoured by the tech side of film and cinematography and editing. So, I wanted to see how I could fit into that type of world.

My high school was wonderful because it really provided space for kids like me to just explore and pick up a camera to film whatever we wanted, and use the tech rooms to kind of just make weird stuff.

I really got to explore and TIFF was such an incredible experience. I got to be in a room with like-minded teens, all who were cinephiles and had a different connection to the movies that they watched. They just brought so much of themselves into the discussions we had about the movies that we were programming. I think we highlighted a real eclectic range of different movies from different Canadian voices and voices from all over the world that highlight the coming of age experience. It’s just a great learning opportunity.

Your character, Kamala, and her best friend Bruno hang out on his rooftop to get away from things in the show. Is there a place you’d escape to in Toronto to get away from any drama you might be experiencing?

Value Village! Thrifting was kind of very therapeutic for me. I would spend a lot of time there. There’s one on Richmond Hill. That’s kind of my go-to I don’t really go to the one in Markham.

Is there a Canadian actor, actress or musician that you idolize, just like how Kamala fangirls over Captain Marvel?

You know what, I’m going to say Michael Cera. He makes music too, and it’s really good. I think people should listen to Michael Cera’s music.

Do you have any favourite restaurants in Toronto or Markham that you want people to know about?

Yes, Bar Burrito! I love Bar Burrito. That’s what I ate after I got the part.

And what’s next for you after Ms. Marvel?

Is there an after Ms. Marvel? I feel like this has been going on for a really long time!

I’ve decided I don’t want to even think about my future. I’m just going with the flow. Things just happen, life is super weird. This happened out of nowhere. I could have never even planned something like this. I just hope I’m involved in works I’m passionate about and I’m meeting cool people.

Have you heard from friends and family here in Canada about Ms. Marvel and whether they’re excited for you?

Oh, yeah, everyone’s super excited. I even invited a couple of my old high school teachers to the screening tonight. So, that’s going to be super weird just being in a room with all the people who’ve had such an incredible impact on my life, and my friends and family who’ve never seen the act before. So, that’s going to be super jarring for them, but I’m excited to finally share this.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.