“Moon Knight” made its debut on Disney+ at the end of March 2022. The show features an experienced cast, with Oscar Issac in the titular role and Ethan Hawke as a major antagonist. Throughout its run, the show has eclipsed expectations and engaged fans. The series focuses on the character of Marc Spector, an ex-mercenary with excellent combat skills and a terrible temper. After making a deal with the Egyptian god of the moon, Khonshu, Marc gains a powerful supersuit that channels the god’s power.
Where this show departs from the standard vigilante hero arc is what really makes it stand apart. The best plot point of this show is one it borrows from another famous Marvel character — the Hulk. Similar to Bruce Banner, Marc Spector is a character living with dissociative identity disorder. In stark contrast to Marc’s skills as a mercenary, his alter ego, Steven Grant, is a reserved, nervous individual with a passion for Egyptian myth. Most of the conflict in the show revolves around the dynamics of these two personalities as they struggle to control the same body, and the Moon Knight supersuit.
Another departure from popular Marvel shows is the genre blending in “Moon Knight.” Ethan Hawke’s villain, a zealot cult leader, leads a band of loyal fanatics and has the ability to summon hellish Jackal-like creatures. The manipulative quality of this character combined with his ritual-like summonings resemble common plot devices in the thriller and horror genres.
Additionally, the creatures of the series are visually grotesque. The Jackal demons appear gaunt and rabid, and the moon god Konshu is depicted as an overly tall, emaciated figure with a giant bird skull in lieu of a head. Konshu’s scary presence is bolstered by his appearance in flickering lights and the background of wide shots, all of which are likely to remind you of jumpscares commonplace in supernatural horror films. While this is an interesting new take on the traditional Marvel format, I do wish the show would have committed more heavily to this style. Some episodes seemed to rely more heavily on standard Marvel themes of action and adventure.
Despite the show’s positive stylistic choices, the series is not without its flaws. Chief among them is its reliance on shoddy special effects and costume design. The Moon Knight suit suffers from a monochromatic eggshell white palate, with CGI glowing white eyes. Although staples of the comic series, these features do not translate well to film. Similar to Batman, Moon Knight is often depicted in dark cityscapes in his comics, which make the all white suit appear two-toned due to shadows cast by the cape and cowl. The drooping hood in this environment generally obscures all but the glowing eyes of the vigilante, while his cape obscures his body. Both of these effects, however, are hard to produce practically — especially in the open landscapes where filming was done.
Beyond just the costume design, certain sequences of action also seem clunky. The movement of “Moon Knight” is at times uncanny, and in one particular instance I actually laughed out loud as a group of villains were hit by crashing logs that launched them off screen in a completely unlikely direction.
The plot and its implications for the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), however, draws fans back to the show. The inclusion and focus on more mystical characters is a growing pattern in the ever-expanding MCU. Marvel is developing Moon Knight alongside other magical characters including Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Ghost Rider, Blade, and Black Knight. The focus on these characters could lead to the development of a new super team, or more likely, to the reveal of a powerful magical villain. Regardless of where this overarching theme takes us, fans are excited to see when the character of Moon Knight will appear next.
3 out of 5 Big Oles
