Laurel Marsden roped in for a vital role in Ms Marvel

Actor Laurel Marsden has been roped in for a vital role in Ms Marvel. Best known for starring in Quibi's Survive, Marsden will play Zoe Zimmer in the Disney+ series. 

The series has newcomer Iman Vellani as the titlular role of Ms Marvel aka Kamala Khan, Marvel Studios' first Pakistani-American teen superhero. Written by Bisha K Ali, the series chronicles the story of this New Jersey-based superhero who possesses the power of shape-shifting and healing. 

Marsden's character Zimmer is said to be like a 'frenemy' to Ms Marvel; a popular girl at Coles Academic High, the superhero first saves her in the Hudson River. Zimmer dates the school's star athlete Josh Richardson.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the filmmaker duo known for Bad Boys for Life, are set to direct the series along with two-time Oscar documentary short winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and The Walking Dead director Meera Menon.

Ms Marvel debuted in 2014 as Marvel's first Muslim character to lead a comic book title. The character was created by G Willow Wilson, artiste Adrian Alphona, and editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker.

Also starring Saagar Shaikh, Aramis Knight, Matt Lintz, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, and Nimra Bucha, Ms Marvel is slated for release later this year.