Ms. Marvel Star Iman Vellani's Reaction To Meeting Kevin Feige Is Incredibly Relatable
Iman Vellani, who will soon make her television debut as Jersey City teen turned super-powered heroine Kamala Khan in the upcoming Disney + series "Ms. Marvel," is a fast-rising star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to her IMDb profile, this is the first major role for the young Canadian actress, so perhaps it's not surprising that, like Kamala, she's a fan of big-name celebs just like the rest of us.
In the Marvel Comics world, Kamala admits to writing fanfiction about the superheroes who will eventually become her colleagues in saving the day, like X-Men faves Ororo Munroe, aka Storm, and Wolverine (via The Nerdist). She is also a Captain Marvel fan before she ever meets Carol Danvers. Those fandom feelings must've been easy to tap into for Vellani, who recently confessed to being an admirer of the work of one colleague in particular — Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios and a producer of Marvel Cinematic Universe content. Her reaction to meeting Feige for the first time will be utterly relatable to anyone who's ever managed to meet one of their heroes.
Vellani froze up when she met Kevin Feige
During an interview with Esquire, Iman Vellani revealed that the high-ranking celebs on her list of favorite people are "Iron Man" actor Robert Downey Jr. and the Piano Man himself, Billy Joel. Coming in at No. 3? That would be none other than Kevin Feige. The actress then shared she was over the moon to meet Feige because an in-person meeting was ostensibly inevitable once she was cast on "Ms. Marvel." But, when he did eventually turn up, she was stunned. In fact, she was so stunned that, outwardly, she didn't have much of a reaction to his presence.
Recounting their first meeting for the magazine, she said that she was informed the Marvel Studios head would be making an on-set visit to the show's production on a Wednesday. Since it was a Monday, Vellani was relaxing between shots in a chair. She was half-asleep when she was told that someone was there to meet her. She recalled, "And I, look down, up. And it's just Kevin's eyes because he was wearing a mask, and I froze completely. And he says, 'I heard you're doing a great job here!' I did not speak to him or smile at him until he left. I literally gave him a stare. I felt so bad because he was trying to make conversation with me and talk to me. And I gave him nothing."
Vellani has since overcome her initial freeze-up and has, according to Esquire, pitched Feige numerous ideas and projects for future films. "He does not take any [nonsense] from me," the actress remarked. Perhaps she'll someday fill his shoes as a producer or take up directing. To Esquire, Vellani said she directed shorts in high school and has an interest in the behind-the-scenes workings of Hollywood.