The first MCU product of the 2022 season, a Disney+ series called Moon Knight, has just finished its final episode (announcement of a potential second season pending). This series stars Oscar Isaac as the titular character, a man with multiple personalities who is also the superhero known as Moon Knight.
While this series definitely follows some of the normal formula of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is still very different from their other properties, as it focuses more on mythology and a character with dissociative identity disorder.
Still, it is still as entertaining as the MCU’s better projects. Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of a man with different personalities (Marc Spector and Steven Grant) are really good, and the way his backstory is explored gives his character depth, nuance, and will make you relate to and feel bad for him.
On top of that, the brotherly chemistry between Marc and Steven is a major highlight of the series, and Isaac plays both roles very well. Marc’s relationship with his wife, Layla, is another nice aspect of the show and gives you another character to latch onto and care about.
Ethan Hawke does a pretty good job as the villain, Arthur Harrow, a cult leader who attempts to cleanse humanity of evil by summoning an ancient god.
Moon Knight is definitely weirder than other MCU movies and shows, but it’s weird in a way that will suck in die-hard MCU fans, and may even please casual viewers as well. It doesn’t spend a lot of time connecting to the widespread portion of the MCU, but, for the most part, it doesn’t need to. It’s taking its time telling its own story, and it does a very good job of it.
The superhero alter-ego isn’t around as much as the actual human characters (in fact, there are a few episodes where Moon Knight doesn’t make an appearance at all), which will be disappointing to some people.
However, for the time that the hero isn’t around, it is actually pretty intriguing, especially in episode five, which is a rather dark and heartbreaking episode where the focus is on the relationship between Marc and Steven and how they came to be. It is an episode that will stick with you long after it’s over, and helps answer the question of how Marc’s other personality was created, and how he ended up becoming the Moon Knight.
It will be interesting to see if there is a season 2, as it has not been confirmed or denied that there will be a continuation. Whatever the case, I am looking forward to seeing more of Oscar Isaac in this role, because he did a very good job with this character in his first go-around. His path forward shows very promising potential for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
