Can Moon Knight escape the trend that plagued MCU shows on Disney+? At the beginning Phase 4, the Marvel Cinematic Universe added television series to their roster, including the likes of WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If…?, and Hawkeye. While this is not Marvel’s first venture into television, these Disney+ shows are different in that they explicitly share continuity with and exist alongside the MCU films. They also explore already established supporting heroes while introducing new characters. Moon Knight, the sixth Disney+ MCU show, has not only successfully launched Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac) into the superhero franchise, but it has also set itself apart from its predecessors.

Moon Knight, whose violence exceeds other MCU shows, follows Marc’s journey as a mercenary with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). While the core of his character has been kept intact in the show, there are numerous differences in his origin. In the Marvel comics canon, Marc fought a close family friend who was secretly a Nazi and a serial killer targeting Jewish people. Meanwhile, in Moon Knight, his DID was a response to the childhood trauma brought by the death of his younger brother and the abuse he sustained from his mother growing up. Aside from navigating his multiple alters, Marc also intends to stop Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) from resurrecting the goddess Ammit and enacting premature judgment upon humanity.

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Recently, Moon Knight became the subject of cancellation rumors. The speculations came after Marvel Studios reportedly submitted the six-episode series for the Limited Series category of the Emmy Awards. Moon Knight has always been classified as a “miniseries,” meaning the existence of another season is improbable. Its final episode then needs to neatly conclude the major plotlines laid out in the first five episodes, since the character’s future in the MCU is still uncertain. However, despite the promising start, can Moon Knight escape Marvel’s Disney+ trap?

Moon Knight Is One Of The Best MCU Shows (So Far)

Moon Knight Oscar Isaac

Among the six MCU shows released on Disney+, Moon Knight is considered one of the best so far. Critics have widely praised the show, as it offers something distinct from the franchise. Moon Knight deviates from the other shows’ focus on characters previously unexplored in the movies, like Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), Vision (Paul Bettany), and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) or Scarlet Witch, perhaps Phase 4’s most important character. By introducing Marc Spector, the miniseries shows how much potential there is for untapped characters in the comics. Because Moon Knight, as a show, can stand on its own, there is no need for overarching MCU references, making it a refreshing and compelling watch.

Moon Knight’s unconventional premise makes it stand out from its contemporaries. Although previous Disney+ shows have touched on mental health themes, the Egyptian mythology-inspired show is the first to tackle a mental condition as a central part of its titular character. As Marc’s journey continues, he also gets to navigate his DID and multiple alters. Removing the notion that he is broken and needs to be “cured” of his condition in order to be a hero also elevates mainstream representation and encourages conversations.

Lastly, Ethan Hawke’s take on the villain Arthur Harrow has gained positive reception. Critics and audiences alike have also commended Oscar Isaac’s performance in Moon Knight. Alternating between Marc and Steven is already a daunting task, but doing so in such a nuanced fashion that the alters’ differences are easily noticed is simply remarkable. These factors prove how successful Marvel’s gamble on creating a Moon Knight show is. Despite being darker, more violent, and not at all family-friendly, it has nudged the MCU into taking risks and switching up its tried-and-tested formula.

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Marvel's Disney+ Shows Have Big Ending Problems

Disney+ 2021 MCU Marvel shows

While most Disney+ MCU shows started out great, they struggled to stick the landing. For instance, Hawkeye obtained praises for emphasizing the humanity of its heroes while dealing with street-level events. However, its ending was quite underwhelming, even with the MCU debut of Hawkeye's Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio). The character dynamics, especially between Clint Barton and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), were heartfelt and emotional, but the show failed in its conflict resolution. Perhaps, Hawkeye teased too many villains that it failed to deliver on them all. Besides, it had to set up Kate’s and Maya Lopez’s (Alaqua Cox) place in the franchise. On the other hand, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was a good political thriller that incorporated social commentary and focused on Sam Wilson's (Anthony Mackie) tension-filled journey towards accepting Captain America’s shield and legacy. Its final episode felt quite rushed, as it scrambled to address so many issues within a limited period of time, including that of the Flag Smashers, John Walker, and Sharon Carter, who is also the Power Broker.

Marvel’s Disney+ shows are arguably ahead of traditional streaming, with their genre-bending vision and high budget. Still, they fail to give audiences a satisfying ending probably because of its format. Due to the limited number of episodes, the pacing is quite problematic, and the narrative is not fleshed out thoroughly. Since these shows still exist within the MCU, they also have to set up the future for their characters, so not all of their concerns are dealt with at the end.

Will Moon Knight Avoid Disney+'s Ending Trap?

Moon Knight brooding with the full moon behind him in the Disney+ Moon Knight series

With Moon Knight’s finale approaching, will it avoid the ending trap that plagued Disney+ MCU shows? So far, considering how self-contained the miniseries is, the possibility of having a fulfilling ending is quite high. After all, even though Moon Knight has Easter eggs and Marvel references, it will surely not bother to simply set up the titular vigilante’s future. Consequently, it can focus on actually dealing with the problems at hand and sending the characters off. Since Moon Knight has not had the same pacing problems as its predecessors, it is unlikely that the final episode will feel rushed and anticlimactic.

Nevertheless, with the events of episode 5, Moon Knight has still a lot of loose ends to tie up, especially concerning Khonshu and Marc’s relationship, Steven’s state, Harrow’s plans, and Layla’s fate. Mohamed Diab, the director of this upcoming finale, has also teased twists and surprises. Unless Moon Knight can pack them all into one episode without feeling hurried or disappointing, there is no guarantee that it can escape Marvel’s Disney+ trap.

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New episodes of Moon Knight release every Wednesday on Disney+.

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