Sana Amanat

Sana Amanat is an American comic book editor and an executive of production and development at Marvel Studios,[1]: 23  having formerly been the Director of Content and Character Development at Marvel Comics.[2][3][4][5][6] She has worked on comics such as Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, and Ms. Marvel. Amanat is known for co-creating Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, the first Muslim-American superhero with a solo Marvel Comics series.[2][3][7]

Sana Amanat
BornNew Jersey, United States
Nationality
  • American
  • Pakistani
Area(s)Editor, Writer, Executive producer
Notable works
Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel

Early life and education

Amanat was born in New Jersey to Pakistani immigrants. Her family is Muslim.[3] Throughout her childhood, Amanat had trouble fitting in and struggled with self-identity.[8]

Amanat studied political science with a focus on the Middle East at Barnard College at Columbia University in 2004.[9][10]

Career
See caption
Amanat presenting Barack Obama a copy of Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 in the Blue Room of the White House during a reception for Women's History Month in 2016

After college, Amanat worked in magazine publishing for a few years. She then worked for an indie comic book company, Virgin Comics.[9][11] There, Amanat learned about graphic storytelling. Two years later, the company went out of business.[9]

Amanat's next career move was to join Marvel Comics in 2009. According to Amanat, an executive at Marvel approached her for the job because she was different from their average employee. She said that the executive told her she had "something different to offer than the regular fanboy who has read comics since he was a kid. She has a different voice, and they need her voice in order to change Marvel."[12] Amanat runs the annual Women of Marvel panel at Comic Con and does work to make Marvel characters more diverse.[2] Since 2014, Amanat has also co-hosted the Women of Marvel podcast;[13] by 2020, the podcast had released over 200 episodes.[14]

At TEDxTeen 2014, Amanat gave a talk titled "Myths, Misfits & Masks"[15] where she spoke on "how societal constructs and stereotype affect self-image and worth and how comic book storytelling in particular helps manage the expectations of others through a positive lens".[16]

In 2014, she co-created Marvel's first solo series, the relaunched Ms. Marvel comic, to feature a female Muslim superhero; the series was headlined by a new character, Kamala Khan. The conception of Khan came about during a conversation between Amanat and Marvel editor Stephen Wacker. Amanat said, "I was telling him some crazy anecdote about my childhood, growing up as a Muslim American. He found it hilarious." The pair then told G. Willow Wilson about the concept and Wilson became eager to jump aboard the project.[17] Amanat said that the series came from a "desire to explore the Muslim-American diaspora from an authentic perspective."[18] Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal was the best-selling graphic novel in October 2014[19] and it won the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in 2015.[20] Several volumes of the series have been on The New York Times Best Seller list of paperback graphic books.[lower-alpha 1] As of August 2018, Ms. Marvel has sold half a million trade paperbacks, not including digital sales.[25][26] Ms. Marvel has also sold well digitally,[27] and has at times been Marvel's top digital seller overall.[28]

Amanat has been the Director of Content and Character Development at Marvel Comics since February 2015.[2][29][30] Vox called her the "Shonda Rhimes of Marvel comics" in 2015.[2] Amanat was co-executive producer on the animated television film Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors (2018) and the subsequent animated specials in the Marvel Rising series.[31][32] She was also co-executive producer on the unscripted documentary series Marvel's Hero Project (2019).[33][34] Amanat joined Marvel Studios by mid-2019, where she is an executive of production and development.[35][1]: 23  She is as an executive producer on Marvel Studios' Ms. Marvel (2022), a Disney+ television adaptation based on the comic series of the same name;[36][37] she cameos in the third episode of the series.[38][39]

Inspiration

In her Ted Talk, Amanat stated that "the big idea behind Ms. Marvel [was] very much about minority representation, the bigger idea was about finding your authentic self". While creating the comic, she drew on her own experience as the child of Pakistani immigrants in the New Jersey suburbs in hopes that the next generation will not experience identity rejection as she did through a relatable superhero.[9][7]

Comics
  • True Believers: Thanos Rising (2018)[40]
  • Generations: Ms. Marvel and Ms. Marvel (2017)[40]
  • The Mighty Captain Marvel (2017)[40]
  • Hawkeye (2016–2018)[40]
  • All-New Hawkeye (2015–2016)[40]
  • Captain Marvel & The Carol Corps (2015–present)[40]
  • Daredevil (2015–present)[40]
  • Giant-Size Little Marvel: AVX (2015–present)[40]
  • Max Ride: First Flight (2015–present)[40]
  • Ms. Marvel vol. 4 #1 – 38 (November 2015 – March 2019)[41]
    • Volume 5: Super Famous (tpb, 136 pages, 2016, ISBN 0-7851-9611-0)
      • "Super Famous" (with G.Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa, in #1–3, 2015–2016)
      • "Army of One" (with G.Willow Wilson and Nico Leon, in #4–6, 2016)
      • "The Road to War" (with G.Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, in #7, 2016)
      • "Civil War II" (with G.Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa, in #8-11, 2016)
      • "The Road to War" (with G.Willow Wilson and Mirka Andolfo, in #12, 2016)
      • "Election Day" (with G.Willow Wilson and Mirka Andolfo, in #13, 2016)
      • "Damage Per Second" (with G.Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, and Nelson Blake II, in #14-17, 2017)
      • "Meanwhile in Wakanda" (with G.Willow Wilson and Francesco Gaston, in #18, 2017)
      • "Mecca" (with G.Willow Wilson, Marco Failla, Nelson Blake II, and Valerio Schiti, in #19-22, 2017)
      • "Northeast Corridor" (with G.Willow Wilson, Diego Olortegui, and Valerio Schiti, in #23-24, 2017)
  • Ms. Marvel vol. 3 #1–19 (with G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, February 2014 – October 2015)
    • Volume 1: No Normal (tpb, 120 pages, 2014, ISBN 0-7851-9021-X) collects:
      • "Garden State of Mind" (with G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, in All-New Marvel NOW! Point One #1.NOW, 2014)
      • "Meta Morphosis" (with G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, in #1, 2014)
      • "All Mankind" (with G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, in #2, 2014)
      • "Side Entrance" (with G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, in #3, 2014)
      • "Past Curfew" (with G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, in #4, 2014)
      • "Urban Legend" (with G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, in #5, 2014)
    • Volume 2: Generation Why (tpb, 136 pages, 2015, ISBN 0-7851-9022-8) collects:
      • "Healing Factor" (with Jake Wyatt, in #6–7, 2014)
      • "Generation Why" (with G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, in #8–11, 2014–2015)
    • Volume 3: Crushed (tpb, 112 pages, 2015, ISBN 0-7851-9227-1) collects:
      • "Loki in Love" (with G.Willow Wilson and Elmo Bondoc, in #12, 2015)
      • "Crushed" (with G.Willow Wilson and Takeshi Miyazawa, in #13–15, 2015)
    • Volume 4: Last Days (tpb, 120 pages, 2015, ISBN 0-7851-9736-2) collects:
      • "Last Days" (with G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, in #16–19, 2015)
  • Ultimate Spider-Man Infinite Digital Comic (2015–present)
  • All-New Hawkeye (2015)[40]
  • Elektra (2014–present)[40]
  • Rocket Raccoon (2014–present)[40]
  • Daredevil (2014–2015)[40]
  • Hawkeye (2012–2015)[40]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2018 Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors Co-executive producer Television movie
2019 Marvel Rising: Chasing Ghosts Television special
Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron
Marvel Rising: Battle of the Bands
Marvel Rising: Operation Shuri
Marvel's Hero Project Executive producer 20 episodes
Marvel Rising: Playing with Fire Co-executive producer Television special
2022 Ms. Marvel Executive producer
Actor		 6 episodes
Cameo; episode: "Destined"
2024 Daredevil: Born Again Executive producer 18 episodes; filming

See also

Notes
  1. By November 2014, Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal reached No. 2 on The New York Times Best Seller list of paperback graphic books.[21] In April 2015, Ms. Marvel Volume 2: Generation Why debuted at #4 on The New York Times Best Seller list of paperback graphic books.[22] In July 2015, Ms. Marvel Volume 3: Crushed debuted at #3 on The New York Times Best Seller list of paperback graphic books.[23] In July 2016, Ms. Marvel Volume 5: Super Famous debuted at #3 on The New York Times Best Seller list of paperback graphic books.[24]

References
  1. "Ms. Marvel Production Notes" (PDF). Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  2. Abad-Santos, Alex (November 19, 2015). "Meet Sana Amanat, the Shonda Rhimes of Marvel comics". Vox. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  3. "Be The Hero: Get to Know Sana Amanat's Story". We Are Wakanda. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  4. "Sana Amanat". See Jane. September 20, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  5. Tahir, Sabaa (February 4, 2014). "ESSAY: Why Muslim Ms. Marvel succeeds in her debut". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  6. "Be The Hero: Get to Know Sana Amanat's Story". Makers. September 18, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  7. "Learn Sana Amanat's Name Now — The Future Of Marvel Might Just Be In Her Hands". Bustle. July 24, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  8. Cavna, Michael (June 17, 2016). "The Pakistani American Marvel editor who is trying to make comic books more diverse". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  9. Thomson-DeVeaux, Amelia. "A New Kind of Superhero | Barnard College". barnard.edu. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  10. Vera, Ruel S. De. "The marvel behind the new Ms. Marvel". Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  11. "The badass woman who created Marvel's first Muslim superhero to headline her own series". Elle India. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  12. Thomas, Janelle Okwodu, Mickalene. "Sana Amanat Is Changing the World of Comic Books From the Inside Out". Vogue. Retrieved December 3, 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. Knox, Kelly (June 24, 2014). "Listen to the Women of Marvel". GeekDad. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  14. "Celebrating the 'Women of Marvel' Podcast". Marvel Entertainment. March 9, 2020. Archived from the original on April 3, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  15. Wickline, Dan (March 20, 2014). "Marvel Editor Sana Amanat Does TEDxTeen Talk About The Positive Power Of Storytelling". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  16. Ching, Albert (May 2, 2014). "CBR TV @ WC 2014: Sana Amanat on TED Talk, "Ms. Marvel" & More". CBR. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  17. Gustines, George (November 5, 2013). "Marvel Comics Introducing a Muslim Girl Superhero". The New York Times. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  18. More, Matt (November 5, 2013). "In Marvel Comics, Ms Marvel returns as Muslim teen". Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  19. "Top 100 Graphic Novels: October 2014". Diamond Comic Distributors. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  20. "2015 Hugo Award Winners Announced". The Hugo Awards. August 22, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  21. "Best Sellers> Paperback Graphic Books". The New York Times. November 16, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  22. "Best Sellers> Paperback Graphic Books". The New York Times. April 20, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  23. "Best Sellers> Paperback Graphic Books". The New York Times. April 20, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  24. "Paperback Graphic Books - Best Sellers - July 31, 2016 - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  25. Johnston, Rich (August 31, 2018). "Ms. Marvel Has Sold Half a Million Trade Paperbacks". Bleeding Cool News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  26. Zaheer, Mohammad (June 7, 2022). "Why Marvel has struck gold with Muslim superhero Ms Marvel". BBC Culture. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  27. Gustines, George Gene (April 7, 2017). "Marvel Comics May Have Slumping Sales, but Don't Blame Its Diverse Heroes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  28. Cocca, Carolyn (2016). Superwomen: Gender, Power, and Representation. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 183. ISBN 978-1501316579.
  29. MacDonald, Heidi (February 6, 2015). "Sana Amanat promoted to Director of Content & Character Development at Marvel". The Beat. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  30. Francisco, Eric (June 7, 2022). "How 'Ms. Marvel' creators "convinced" Kevin Feige to ditch the MCU's worst trend". Inverse. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  31. "Interview: Talking Heroes And The Future Of 'Marvel Rising Secret Warriors' With Sana Amanat". ComicBook.com. September 30, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  32. "Exclusive Interview: 'Marvel Rising' Producer Sana Amanat". ScienceFiction.com. November 27, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  33. "NYCC: The Marvel Hero Project brings real life heroes into the spotlight". SYFY Official Site. October 5, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  34. Harbet, Xandra (June 7, 2022). "Ms. Marvel Comic Co-Creator Sana Amanat On The Disney+ Series And The Changes From The Comics - Exclusive Interview". Looper.com. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  35. Holub, Christian (June 30, 2022). "Ms. Marvel co-creator Sana Amanat discusses the Red Dagger and Kamala's trip to Karachi". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  36. "Embiggen! Ms. Marvel series coming to Disney+ drops sizzle reel with first footage". SYFY Official Site. December 11, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  37. Mathai, Jeremy (June 7, 2022). "Ms. Marvel Co-Creator Explains Her Involvement With The Show And Crafting A Story That Feels Specific [Interview]". SlashFilm.com. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  38. Shaffi, Sarah (June 22, 2022). "Ms. Marvel gives us the big fight scene we've been craving". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  39. "Ms. Marvel Episode 3 Clip Features a Bollywood-Style Wedding Dance". ComicBook.com. June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  40. "Sana Amanat". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  41. Quaintance, Zack (December 14, 2018). "THE MAGNIFICENT MS. MARVEL: Kamala Khan gets new comic, new creative team, new adjective". The Beat. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
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