Marvel’s Disney+ shows have provided some truly exhilarating experiences for fans of the MCU, with these thrilling superhero installments granting viewers new adventures within the shared universe. Marvel Studios’ latest offering, Moon Knight, has proven particularly impressive for online audiences, with fans left captivated by Steven Grant’s journey.
This dark and twisted comic-book series takes a wildly different approach than the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s previous Disney+ programs, inviting everyone on a deep dive into the psychology of Steven Grant and his alter ego, Marc Spector. Moon Knight offers a unique superhero tale for the popular comics franchise, as it breaks the narrative rules established by the previous MCU series to bring audiences a truly extraordinary watch.
No Connectivity
Releasing as part of the MCU’s fourth phase, Moon Knight is a particularly electrifying new addition to the superhero franchise, with viewers left amazed by the series’ first two episodes. Despite acting as part of Marvel Studios’ universe, however, Disney+’s latest offering is largely a standalone affair, with no clear connections to the franchise’s previous installments.
While Marvel’s other Disney+ shows feature pre-existing characters from the studio’s film output, Moon Knight stars an entirely new cast of characters. Additionally, the series refuses to acknowledge previous events within the superhero saga, unlike programs such as WandaVision and Hawkeye, which include key moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe within its narratives.
The Unreliable Narrator
Marvel’s Disney+ releases have provided some of the franchise’s most engaging offerings, with fans treated to some of television’s greatest superhero storylines. Moon Knight is no exception, although, unlike its Marvel predecessors, the story brings a more ambiguous turn to proceedings, with its brave protagonist Steven Grant suffering from dissociative identity disorder.
This makes him an unreliable narrator, with many Reddit users believing this to be a game-changer for the MCU. This creates an air of ambiguity around the series’ storyline, with audiences made to question whether the museum gift shop worker’s experiences actually occurred. Moon Knight’s rather enigmatic plot is a stark contrast to prior Marvel programs, which have clearly stated their superhero showdowns to be real events.
Horror
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has delved into many genres over its film and television output, but one corner the franchise has rarely explored is horror. While previous tales have typically delivered a more action-orientated story, Moon Knight presents a more horrific depiction of the comic book universe.
Moon Knight’s creepy aesthetics takes the franchise into bold new territory, breaking the more family-friendly boundaries established in previous Disney+ offerings. Audiences are treated to many shocking visuals, such as Steven’s decision to chain himself to his bed, bringing a substantially darker vibe to the usually light and witty MCU.
Arthur Harrow’s Motivations
Played by Ethan Hawke, Arthur Harrow is one of Moon Knight’s biggest highlights, with many Twitter viewers having been left impressed by Ammit’s enigmatic avatar. He also serves as a significant departure from the antagonists of previous Marvel Disney+ shows, with Arthur’s villainous motivations taking a drastically different approach.
Whereas previous villains such as Karli Morgenthau and Kingpin are driven by the emotional aftermath of Avengers Endgame, Arthur‘s plans appear unaffected by Endgame’s devastating impact. Khonshu’s former avatar is instead motivated by his distrust towards the Egyptian God he once served, as he seeks to eliminate potentially dodgy individuals before they commit their evil deeds.
Unclear Origins
The origin story is an essential component of any superhero narrative, with viewers often keen to discover how the Earth’s mightiest heroes became their super-powered alter-egos. Whereas previous Marvel Studios shows feature characters with well-established origins, Moon Knight’s early beginnings are somewhat unclear.
While Moon Knight’s first two episodes allude to the dark vigilante’s story, the Disney+ series has yet to clarify how Marc Spector became Khonshu’s avatar. This acts as a stark contrast to previous Marvel shows, which follow heroes with more straightforward backstories, providing a compelling mystery to Moon Knight’s MCU existence.
A Dead Romance
Marvel Studios have featured several of the best couples within their superhero back catalog, with these passionate relationships providing some of the MCU’s best moments. Moon Knight delivers a much more cynical outlook on its titular hero’s romantic life, however, with Marc and the love of his life Layla having already split up before viewers are even introduced to Steven’s alter-ego.
Whereas shows including WandaVision and Loki deliver more conventional love stories with a new or blossoming romance, Moon Knight takes a much weirder angle, with Marc and Layla having filed for divorce under mysterious circumstances. The series is purposefully vague over the reasons for Marc and Layla’s decision to split and adds further mystique over the vigilante’s former partner, as Khonshu reveals his interest in making her his next avatar, resulting in one of the story's most interesting conundrums.
Dream Logic
Disney+’s MCU output has delivered some of the streaming service’s most impressive releases, as audiences are treated to the franchise’s typically spectacular superhero narratives on the small screen. These wildly ambitious productions have presented viewers with a defined narrative structure, however, Moon Knight breaks Hollywood’s traditional storytelling conventions in an especially creative manner.
Moon Knight uses Steven’s sleeping disorder to great effect, as it utilizes dream logic to bring an uncertain vibe to proceedings. The unlucky gift shop worker suddenly finds himself in different locations and surrounded by dead bodies with little explanation as to how these events occurred. This contrasts heavily with shows such as The Falcon And The Winter Soldier and Loki, which show a clearer picture of their heroic leads’ adventures, resulting in an especially unique offering from Marvel Studios.
A More Brutal Hero
Marvel’s Disney+ shows are home to some of the greatest action sequences, with some of the universe’s most noble heroes fighting a few of the franchise’s biggest foes. However, whereas previous TV offerings have shown their central characters to be following a strict moral code, Moon Knight takes a much more brutal stance in his battles with evil.
Oscar Isaac’s violent mercenary displays no qualms about killing his opponents, resulting in one of the MCU’s best performances. While Wanda allows Agatha to live and Kate Bishop sends Kingpin to jail, Marc beats the ferocious Jackals to a pulp and savagely murders the ice cream truck driver, showing the vigilante to play by a more barbaric set of rules.
Control
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has developed a strong roster of lead characters across its film and television releases, with audiences having become deeply immersed in the stories of these fascinating protagonists. While WandaVision and Loki’s events are influenced by the actions of Wanda and Loki respectively, Moon Knight is a much more complicated affair, as the show presents a more vague outlook on who is truly in command of the story.
This highly compelling new adventure from Kevin Feige’s universe features several characters vying for control over the series’ storyline, with both Steven and Marc fighting for dominance over the same body. Furthermore, Khonshu poses a significant influence over the show’s plotline, as the troubled pair of vigilantes commit their heroic deeds on behalf of the Egyptian god, whose terrifying voice looms over the series’ leads.
An Unconventional Pairing
Marvel Studios’ wide variety of dynamic duos presents audiences with several of the genre’s most entertaining partnerships, as characters including Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes join forces in their televisual outings to fight the franchise’s biggest evils. While Moon Knight may continue this trend, it also brings a more unconventional take on the superhero double act, with its lead characters occupying the same body.
Although previous MCU Shows have shown two distinct entities joining forces, Moon Knight is the first of these programs to explore a situation where the core protagonist is working alongside himself, as Steven and Marc are forced to confront the reality of their dissociative identity disorder. Their unusual partnership sees one half of the pair commandeer their body while the other resides in a mirror dimension, acting as a voice inside the mind of the dominant personality, with Stephen losing control to Marc by the second episode’s end.