Comic-Con 2016: Ms. Marvel co-creator Sana Amanat at EW's Con-X

In only seven years, Sana Amanat has helped reshape the face of Marvel Comics.

There were zero female-led titles when she hopped aboard; Amanat was proud to tell EW’s Tim Leong at EW’s Con-X that number has jumped to 20 since.

“It shows how much the audience has changed,” she said. “You go to the convention floor, you see how much the audience has changed. It’s really awesome. It’s incredible for the comic community at large.”

Amanat, the Director of Content & Character Development and an editor for the comic giant, led up the reboot for Ms. Marvel and did so in a big way. Kamala Khan was the new hero, becoming the first Muslim American superhero and one of the biggest Muslim icons in comics ever. The reaction was so strong and incurred small negative feedback — but not for what you’d think.

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“The funniest thing is the most hate mail we got wasn’t because she was Muslim, it was because she was from Jersey,” she laughed, “which is so ridiculous.”

The work has made Amanat a prominent figure in diversity in media. She attended the White House in March and introduced President Barack Obama to the crowd. Despite sneaking a kiss on the cheek, there was a much bigger, simpler prize when communicating with POTUS.

“The fact that him or his staff even think about bringing comics into that kind of space and bringing the dialogue about what’s happening in comics within the White House is so freaking awesome,” she said.

Amanat summed up her efforts in the speech she gave to introduce Obama, especially in the line, “Diversity is not a trend: It is simply life.”

Con-X is a four-day getaway in Embarcadero Marina Park North in downtown San Diego. Made for all fans, Con-X allows anyone to get a taste of Comic-Con for free with panels, Q&A, trivia, music, screenings and more. Con-X runs Thursday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. PT.

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