Representation in television is very important, and sometimes that’s all it takes for an actor to jump on a project. For Bollywood legend Farhan Akhtar, it was the reason for his Hollywood acting debut: a role in hit new series Ms. Marvel.
The Indian actor revealed in an interview with Murphy’s Multiverse why he was so excited to be a part of the groundbreaking Marvel Cinematic Universe show. When he heard the franchise was looking to cast people from India for an upcoming project, his interest was immediately piqued.
“And then when we found out more, we realized it’s Ms. Marvel, it’s a show about the first Pakistani-Muslim girl superhero, it speaks about the Asian community in the U.S., it travels all the way to this part of the world, it taps into the culture of this place, the folklore of this place, the history of this place.
So it immediately felt like Marvel was treading new ground here, you know, in doing something that hadn’t been done before. And then they had people like Sharmeen on board-like Sana as a creative producer, so it really seem like this was going to be special. That’s what it felt like. And I wanted it. So I just said, “Listen, please whatever it is just call me and I’m gonna do it.” And after that, of course, we discussed Waleed and we discussed that character and all that more.”
With a thrilling selection of roles under his belt, the multi-talented Akhtar is a revered writer and producer in his home country, choosing to save his acting roles for the ones that speak to him the most. It’s no wonder, then, why he chose such an important series for his venture into Hollywood as an actor.
Akhtar stars as Waleed in the acclaimed series, the leader of the knife-wielding Red Daggers, who serves as mentor to Kareem, played by Aramis Knight. The actor and character have already become fan favorites, and fans hope to see more of Waleed, even though it’s not certain of his return. However, if it’s one thing Marvel has taught fans, it’s to never say never.
The first four episodes of Ms. Marvel are now streaming on Disney Plus, with the final two episodes to be released on Wednesday, June 6, and June 13 respectively. The show, led by Iman Vellani as the titular superhero, has been praised for its cultural representation and superb acting performances.