Does Ms. Marvel's Kamala Khan have ADHD or Maladaptive Daydreaming? MCU details explored

The MCU family grew by one on June 8. Ms. Marvel took center stage in her own Disney+ series and will have a new episode every Wednesday for the next six weeks on the streaming service.

Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American teen from Jersey City who acquires a family heirloom that grants cosmic powers. That is only one way the television character deviates from her comic book counterpart.

Reddit and fans across the internet have taken note of Kamala's habitual distractions and moments of daydreaming, so it's immediately being asked if MCU's Ms. Marvel has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

This would be another layer of representation that Marvel brings to this character alone since there isn't an established MCU character diagnosed with ADHD. However, there is some minor discussion about whether she has ADHD or Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD).

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Maladaptive Daydreaming is a condition where a person regularly experiences intense and highly distracting daydreams. This isn't dissimilar to those with inattentive ADHD who have vibrant imaginations.

Kamala Khan exhibits many traits that can be either of the conditions.

It's clear from the premiere episode that Kamala habitually daydreams, even when friends and family are talking directly to her. One example is when her parents are driving her to school after failing her driver's test. While looking out the window, she drowns out the incessant talking from her parents and sees Captain Marvel fly off into the city.

A more concrete example that hints at Kamala having one of the two conditions is when her high school counselor is talking to her. She first sees the clock on the wall spinning out of control and doesn't snap out of it until her counselor snaps his fingers a few times.

Throughout their discussion, she daydreams a few more times. At one point, she couldn't hear what the counselor was saying.

Mike Sant'Anna, manager of the Legion of Heroes, tweeted:

"Until the show's creators say otherwise to prove me wrong, it's official to me that the show's Kamala Khan has ADHD. Anyone with ADHD will look at the visuals of Kamala on the show and say, 'This is how I see the world, so you know."

Bisha K. Ali, the screenwriter for the Ms. Marvel Disney+ series, saw the tweet and responded:

So, how can we distinguish between ADHD and Maladaptive Daydreaming? First, it's essential to recognize that having both is possible.

The Journal of Clinical Psychology claims:

"Most adults with MD will meet the criteria for ADHD, but their attention deficit is secondary to their core problem of becoming addictive to their immersive, fanciful daydreaming."

Research suggests that Maladaptive Daydreaming may be a more appropriate diagnosis for some individuals than ADHD. However, MD is not yet a formal psychiatric diagnosis.

It's probably safe to say that MCU's Ms. Marvel fits the diagnosis of ADHD because her daydreams aren't happening for hours at a time. She manages a YouTube channel that follows all of The Avengers' exploits. That requires a lot of imagination, but she's not so immersed in the real world that she can't be snapped out of it, which can be done easily.

That's not to say she won't get lost in her daydreams if left to her own devices. It's probably safe to say that until it's stated in the Ms. Marvel TV series, we won't know which of the two conditions she has.

ADHD is more likely. If you have ADHD and see yourself in Kamala's behavior, that matters.

Ms. Marvel is currently streaming on Disney+; new episodes air every Wednesday.