One of the most significant problems with Moon Knight is having to wait over a month for the next episode – Marvel leaves us one of the greatest cliff-hanger twists seen in a while, an unexpected gut punch that will send you into another dimension. The debut episode of Moon Knight is available to stream now on Disney+.
Marvel Studios has fully embraced the supernatural with Moon Knight. This marks a watershed moment for the MCU in several ways – for one, the inclusion of Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke, both heavyweight actors in their own right, indicates there’s something more to this universe than just heroic figures in spandex tights. Mastermind of the MCU, Kevin Feige, himself has also stated that Moon Knight would promise to “pull no punches”, instead deep-diving in the darkness found in the likes of Warren Ellis and Jeff Lemire’s iconic runs of the character. So, does Moon Knight tip the scales of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in its favour, or against?
The first third of Moon Knight is framed not through Marc Spector but through Steven Grant, one of Marc’s alternate personalities. It’s clear that he has some sort of condition, but he’s unsure of what – though he’ll quickly find out. There are some great visual metaphors from cinematographers Gregory Middleton & Andrew Droz Palermo, who split Steven’s world through puddle reflections and fractured selves in mirrors, weaving his mental instability into his own unconscious perception.
Once Steven begins to unravel completely, his mental lapses are just as disorientating for us as they are for him, jolting us out of time and space through disorientating editing. This is a clever trick from Marvel, allowing them to play with getting a little violent and bloody without completely descending into anarchy, as Steven awakens to find a bloodied hand or flecks of someone’s teeth on his shirt.
There’s been explicit consideration by the team on how to integrate Steven’s psychological condition into every technical aspect of Moon Knight – one of its best qualities is its camera work, its constantly hurried, anxious and sometimes utterly panicked state embodying Steven’s own psyche. Some shots even literally run AT Isaac, as though his world and our world are moments from collision. Isaac plays the frustration and emotional distress of someone with DID well; there’s a genuine anger and pain in Steven’s eyes when he discovers how his fugue states are upsetting his life.
Hawke’s Arthur Harrow flickers in out of these first two episodes, similar to Steven’s time-slips, but makes a bold impression. His village of followers feels like a Bavarian Jonestown or Heaven’s Gate, complete with its own self-righteously unnerving prophet. Despite this malevolence, Isaac’s comedic chops are carefully placed but hilariously strong when dealing with Harrow – his frantic self-mutterings and anxieties in the face of this all-powerful cult leader are remarkably disarming.
Harrow believes himself to be a gardener of goodness, ripping up evil from the roots to create his own Eden, under the guidance of the Egyptian god of judgment, Ammit. There’s a pervading menace to Hawke that gets under your skin; like the best Marvel villains, his most lethal weapons are his words. His absolute belief reflects a man who sees his future as inevitable rather than possible.
Once Marc Spector finally emerges, Moon Knight gets a lot more complicated. When the show provides an answer, it always leads to more questions – Steven and the audience are trapped in a continual unravelling of lies and lost time, constantly shifting to keep us guessing. Isaac has a brilliant knack for acting against himself, with clear depth to separating Marc and Steven through detailed characterisation – his differentiation is so clear that it genuinely feels like two different people. The relationship between Steven and Marc is undoubtedly influenced by several past titles, such as Fight Club, but the clearest comparison is to Mr Robot.
As we learn more about Marc, Moon Knight knowingly tests our allegiance to the pair – a wanted mercenary performing executions at dig sites certainly isn’t being called up to join the Avengers anytime soon. Marc and Steven are a whole new calibre of character for Marvel – no heroics are being performed, but a constant desire for self-preservation. They’re selfish and unstable, so you can’t really understand who they are, as even they don’t know they are. It’s an interesting position to follow an untrustworthy and morally murky character in a traditionally ‘heroic’ world.
Fully investing in Egyptian mythology for Moon Knight’s story was a fantastic choice – it gives the story a historical-adventure feel akin to National Treasure. It serves as an easy inroad into introducing the supernatural side of this universe. The scenes in Wadi Rum, a now-iconic sci-fi filming location featured in films like Dune and Star Wars, are gorgeously breathtaking; it’s on-location filming like this that instils the show with a sense of globetrotting adventurism. This dedication to Egyptian mythology and a more self-contained story also invites a much larger audience than previous MCU titles. Aside from 1 reference to the broader world, someone could enjoy Moon Knight as a stand-alone adventure without being clued in on the preceding behemoth of the MCU.
As Marc and Steven form an uneasy alliance, the show embraces the messier, brawlier fighting style of the mercenary. The fight choreography feels very much in line with the Jason Bourne series – the camera’s frantic search for its possessed protagonist, with snap zooms and pans, is reminiscent of Greengrass’ direction, albeit without the discordant editing. Likewise, the quick, kinetic dynamism of Marc, caught in a chaotic dance of combat to get situations under control, sets him apart from the likes of Captain America or Thor Odinson. The fighting itself is far from the brutality Feige may have teased, and certainly Moon Knight isn’t “the darkest Marvel has ever gone” as some will proclaim, but it definitely isn’t afraid to muddy the waters a little.
The focus on Egyptian identity is something that couldn’t have been done without director Mohamed Diab – his influence on the show helps to give Moon Knight its strong sense of identity, from transforming Marc’s fiancé to a more realistic portrayal that suits her backstory to inviting a plethora of Egyptian creatives like composer Hesham Nazih onboard, he’s done wonders to create a more MENA-inclusive project both on-and-off screen. Nazih’s score is especially laudable in episode 4, as his ancient horns create a looming sense of otherworldly dread in the exploratory scenes – like the past slowly reawakening.
One of the most significant problems with Moon Knight is having to wait over a month for the next episode – Marvel leaves us one of the greatest cliff-hanger twists seen in a while, an unexpected gut punch that will send you into another dimension. To say any more would be to ruin the surprise, but you will not see this coming.
The first four episodes of Moon Knight are a brilliantly bonkers dark globetrotting adventure – this is Marvel’s National Treasure. Oscar Isaac is the best addition to the MCU since Robert Downey Jr., marking the beginning of a new decade for the universe in an ambitious new direction. He entwines torment and humour into a morally ambiguous cypher, making Marc Spector a whole new calibre of hero.
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