Episode 4 of Marvel Studios’ “Ms. Marvel” series was a change of pace for the show. Not only did it bring the world of Pakistan to the MCU, but it also serves as an introduction to director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who is the woman helming both episodes 4 and 5 of the new series. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I got a chance to talk to Obaid-Chinoy about working on the MCU show and including the sights and sounds of her hometown of Karachi.
Obaid-Chinoy is an Oscar-winning filmmaker who has primarily worked in the realm of documentaries and investigative journalism. Though she has directed animated short films, “Ms. Marvel” marks a real change in the career of the filmmaker, as she tackles the world of superheroes and action. Much like “Ms. Marvel” is a series about the introduction of a new superhero to the growing Marvel universe, Episode 4 serves as a nice introduction of sorts to a new world and its culture in the MCU. Directed by Obaid-Chinoy, the episode brings Kamala Khan to Pakistan and showcases the sights and sounds of Karachi, which as the filmmaker points out in the interview, is very different than New Jersey. The episode also introduces a major “Ms. Marvel” supporting character, the Red Dagger.
And in the interview, I talk to Obaid-Chinoy about bringing her hometown of Karachi to the MCU and even including some of her childhood favorite locations.
“I think for the first time, audiences will see Pakistan in this light. They’ll see Karachi in this light,” said the filmmaker. “There is so much color and vibrancy in my world that I wanted on screen. You see the streets and the hand-painted buses and the shops and the colorful fabrics. You discover Karachi in the same way that Kamala is discovering Karachi.”
Of course, as a Pakistani filmmaker, who also has daughters, Obaid-Chinoy understands the importance of “Ms. Marvel” on representation in the world of superheroes.
“There is something truly special about bringing to life a superhero that millions of people around the world see a reflection of themselves in her,” she said.
Also, in our interview, Obaid-Chinoy talked about working with the young Iman Vellani and how it is to direct a fangirl who plays a fangirl in the series. And finally, she teases what is to come in Episode 5, as we approach the end of the series. You can hear our full interview below:
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