Zoha Rahman, the first ever Hijabi character will appear in marvel’s latest blockbuster, Spiderman: Far from home. British model Zoha Rahman is the first Muslim woman depicted in Marvel. She will take on this new role this summer.
After the release of the first trailer of Spiderman: Far from home, fans spotted a Hijabi character. Her appearance intrigued them enough to cause a social media frenzy!
Who Is Zoha Rahman?
Actress Zoha Rahman was born in Pakistan and moved to the UK with her family in 2012. After graduating from university with a law degree, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.
“I was very happy to be given the opportunity to visually represent Muslim girls. I find it very frustrating that Muslim women are never really seen on the big screen. It’s almost as if we don’t exist in the real world. Cinema is supposed to be a reflection of the real world but we never see the true diversity that we see around us every day”- said Zoha in an interview.
Coming from a Pakistani Muslim background, Zoha faced similar difficulties as any other Desi girl. Her parents were against her for perusing acting as a career.
“It was difficult because they were hesitant when I told them that I wanted to start acting. But I’m quite stubborn, to be honest, and said this is what I want to do, I’m going to try and if it doesn’t work out I can do something else – it’s not a big deal.”
Zoha’s parents are now completely on board with her career and now are her first fans. She said, “Now they have magazines that I’m featured in on their coffee table and they proudly show them to their friends! It was a journey of growth and understanding for us all.”
Marvel Promotes Diversity Once Again
As the release date is around the corner, fans from all over the world are excited to see this new face. Especially the Asian comic fans. The excitement is growing as to what would be the social impact in terms of diversity in the film industry.
Plus, there’s also the fact that Marvel bosses confirmed last year that Muslim superhero MS Marvel will be joining the MCU. This news brings up a hope for the British Muslims, and Muslims from all over the world. They are now following Zoha as a beacon, guiding a way to more opportunities.
An unforgettable Role
Zoha only appeared in small screens until she got the role in the new Spiderman movie. For Zoha, the experience working on a Marvel film set was no small footnote.
Working alongside actors like Zendaya, Samuel L Jackson and Jake Gyllenhaal also didn’t faze Zoha, who says even the biggest stars were friendly and approachable.
“When you’re on set, everyone is professional and nice, so it felt completely normal to work with them.”
When the trailer was released, revealing her character, Zoha was shocked by the amount of buzz that erupted. It was obvious that this wouldn’t be an experience that Zoha would forget anytime soon.
“In all my years of dreaming about working on a Hollywood set, I never thought it would become a reality,” she says.
The entertainment industry has failed to reflect the diversity as it is in reality and this failure has made the opportunity even more special for Zoha. “It’s a sad by-product of the lack of representation on screen that actors like myself never truly believe in themselves,” she said.
Where Can You Spiderman: Far From Home
Spiderman: Far from home is releasing in July, so even if you are not a marvel fan, you will for sure grab your tickets to see this new girl rocking the cinema!
