Amanat is known for steering Marvel’s 2014 launch of Kamala Khan, the Pakistani American and Muslim teenager who is Ms. Marvel in the popular comic-book line.
COMICrELIEF
Sana Amanat talks about the shifting environment for superhero diversity.
Washington Post
What is it about superheroes that allow us to invest ourselves so freely and fully, no matter our heritage or background?
Superheroes are the equivalent of modern-day gods and goddesses. They encompass the high ideals so many of us aspire to have — empowerment, courage, integrity, to name a few — and those ideals don’t have a racial identity or gender qualifier associated to them. At the same [time], our heroes come with their own vulnerabilities and issues that make them relatable. It’s the balance of the mundane and the fantastic in the superhero world that is intrinsic to the human experience — the obstacles we face, the efforts we make to overcome them and the belief that we have the power within ourselves to succeed. That’s really the tale of every kind of hero.
Shonda Rhimes said that “single white male” is the default setting among casting [people] in Hollywood. Does the same hold true in some comics-industry editorial offices?
I think that yes that used to be the standard. But I’m an example of Marvel going against that. When I was considering Marvel, I had expressed uncertainty about my abilities as a comics pro in a world of white, male-dominated creators and wasn’t sure if I could measure up. To that, Joe Quesada [then editor-in-chief, now chief creative officer] responded that Marvel needed a voice like mine to help tell different kinds of stories. They sought me out and encouraged me, and it is that kind of intention that makes up the folks behind the scenes here. Our editorial staff alone is already one-third female.
Superhero comics at the biggest publishers have decades of character history that can work against truly dramatic change. What does it take for readers to move the needle?
I think we need readers to have a big response like they did with Ms. Marvel. That being said, we can’t take them for granted and expect them to support us if we don’t have the stuff to back it up. Ms. Marvel is selling because it’s a good story about an engaging and relatable hero with universal struggles. Her being Muslim may been a hook for some, but the continuation of the success of that series rests on the strength of the story.
–The interview has been edited for clarity and space
