Moon Knight: A Unique Addition To The MCU
Moon Knight, the sixth Marvel show on Disney Plus takes the Marvel Cinematic Universe to uncharted territories and manages to surprise audiences with a different spin on superheroes. The show starts off interesting and has an intriguing middle but it lacks the big finale that fans expected.
Moon Knight is a character in the comics whose history is full of elements that clash with the modern world, so developing a show around him was challenging but Marvel pulled it off, mostly.
In a nutshell, Moon Knight is a hooded vigilante imbued with the power of an Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Moon Knight is often considered Marvel’s equivalent of Batman, and for the right reasons too. From vigilante heroics to investigative skills, the duo shares similarities, except their costumes are opposite colours.
Moon Knight is the first Disney plus series that isolates itself from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s one of the reasons why the series feels different. There are no appearances from other MCU characters or overarching storylines that allow Moon Knight to break free and deliver a personal character story.
The main protagonist (Oscar Isaac) suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, a mental health condition that leads to multiple distinct personalities. Oscar Isaac’s performance is the star of this show and he effortlessly brings the unique characters to life. Isaac’s transition between the timid Steven Grant and hot-headed Marc Spector (who share the same body) is simply flawless.
The series builds the character of Marc Specter and Steven Grant quite well. For those who don’t follow the comics, the twist at the end of episode 5 was quite surprising. The show explored the backstory of the titular character and uncovered the dark truth about Marc’s trauma which was portrayed quite well.
Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow, a cult leader was able to exude both animosity and extreme kindness which was unsettling, in a good way. May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly is an interesting addition to the cast and brings much more to the table than being just a fleshed-out love interest of the hero. The finale sees her take on the mantle of Scarlet Scarab and makes a worthy addition to female superheroes.
Ever since the show began, comic fans were waiting for the appearance of Jake Lockley, a third persona sharing the brain with Marc Spector and Steven Grant. We finally get a glimpse at Lockely at the finale, but that’s all we get. This leaves several questions lingering in the mind of the audience considering this was a mini-series without any follow-up season planned.
As a whole, the series manages to keep the audience invested in the show with the mystery surrounding the main protagonist. The change of location to Egypt with select Arabic songs brings a much-needed change to the formulaic New York city action that audiences are accustomed to.
Final Verdict: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
