Popverse's top stories of the day

• Winona Ryder was reduced to tears on the set of Stranger Things when the young cast couldn't identify a vinyl record
• Watch: The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power cast explains what's coming in season 2
• Bleach's character designer says pop culture's greatest villain isn't from anime, but Disney

Ms. Marvel’s best friend is one of the people who co-created her, and that’s kind of awesome.

In 2013 editor Sana Amanat co-created Kamala Khan, a teenage Muslim American who fights crime as Ms. Marvel. Years later, Amanat helped Marvel Studios develop the Ms. Marvel television series. This is where she crossed paths with Iman Vellani for the first time. Vellani was cast as Kamala, and a friendship quickly blossomed. This isn’t one of these superficial Hollywood friendships either…the two are legitimately close.

Speaking to a crowd at ACE Superhero Comic Con 2024, Vellani described Amanat as her “best friend,” and spoke about the effect she’s had on her life.

“I have a thing that I won’t move to LA. I won’t do it. But she [Amanat] has a place there, and a spare bedroom. She’s been my roommate, my mother, my sister, and my grandmother. She’s filled every single role. I love that woman and she has seen me throughout everything,” Vellani said.

“I met her over Zoom for the first time before I was cast. I was giving her a tour of my bedroom and all the memorabilia that I’ve collected. I was freaking out, because I’ve only seen her name in comics, and now I’m talking to her.”

When Vellani was asked about the biggest supporters in her life, she immediately thought of Amanat.

“She’s been there. She’s seen me through everything. And has never not talked to me about anything that has happened in my career or personal life. For sure, she is someone I could always go to.”

This friendship is fascinating, because it’s Kamala Khan’s actress and the woman who co-created her. How many comic book actors are best friends with their character creators? Imagine Tom Hardy hanging out with David Michelinie or Ryan Reynolds hanging out with Rob Liefeld. Vellani and Amanat’s friendship is not only unique, but it’s so heartwarming. Listening to Vellani talk about it, you can tell that their relationship is genuine.

The comic book industry can be a world of tragedy and heartbreak sometimes, so it’s nice when we come across heartwarming stuff like this.

Keep up to date on Popverse's Marvel coverage, with these highlights: Disney CEO Bob Iger is promising Deadpool & Wolverine will be MCU's biggest movie "in a long time", how Marvel Studios is now working "much more closely" to sell Marvel comics, where Marvel sees its future audience (and it's not at Marvel, yet!), Overgrown children of the atom: Marvel's X-Men can't evolve past their '90s commercial peak, and the biggest outstanding questions of the Marvel Studios' movies & TV shows.