The star of the 'Marvel's Avengers' video game is a Muslim Pakistani teenager, aka Ms. Marvel
Before Sandra Saad was a superhero in a major Marvel property, the actress found herself in an unfortunate, potentially career-killing position for a young performer. She had to turn down acting opportunities.
It's crucial, says Saad, a first-generation Egyptian American, to take on characters that don't fall into Middle Eastern stereotypes. But the pitfalls of certain roles aren't always immediately apparent. While she speaks Arabic, her reading skills of the language are hit and miss, which means she could miss the nuances of certain lines of dialogue. This is why she runs potential roles by an authority higher than any agent, casting director or Hollywood adviser: her mother.
"Sometimes I get these scripts that are just dangerous to play," says Saad, who has a starring role in Square Enix's take on the game "Marvel's Avengers," out this week.
"They would make me say things that are just horrible," Saad continues. "Sometimes I need to ask my mom
