Phase four of Marvels universe seems to want to explore new worlds and become ever expanding with each new entry and Moon Knight is no exception to this trend. Boasting a beautifully ancient world of powerful god’s and their avatars which unfortunately falls slightly short on providing any sort of understanding on exactly who they are and their purpose.
That said, Moon Knight is all about our protagonists, Steven Grant and Marc Spectar, two sides of the same coin. Our two leads are both uniquely entertaining to watch, with Steven just taking the spotlight for most of the time as we piece together exactly who he is and all that entails.
Oscar Issac gives a commendable performance as both our protagonists, differentiating them in everything but appearance allowing people to root for both in very different ways and seeing a relationship develop between two personalities of a singular person was executed brilliantly, with a slight hint at how deep the rabbit hole could go and what we can expect next from our dynamic duo.
Where the series seems to fall short is in the same veil as other outings such as Shang-Chi and Eternals where it is caught between introducing an extremely promising character that you want to delve more into as well as expanding the Marvel lore with a whole new power/world never seen before which is yet to be established, leaving all slightly dissatisfied on both ends.
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Developing and portraying a superhero with such embedded mental disabilities was a gamble, to say the least. With so much that could have gone wrong or being viewed as insensitive to the struggles of such a disability as schizophrenia, Marvel and director Mohamed Diab should be truly commended for their approach to both the source material it derives from as well as not creating a charcuterie of the real life issues faced with such an illness.
Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow is an exciting new addition to the marvel roster and definitely commands a “harrowing” and unnerving presence from his very first scene but never feels fully fleshed out or utilised in each scene. There is a hint of much further cynicism in the character that failed to ever peak.
However as the show progresses we’re left wondering who the true villain is, the god Khonshu does very little to convince us his path is as virtuous as he claims, protecting the right of free will yet not always practising what he preaches. He slowly becomes by far the most intriguing aspect of Moon Knight as his real desire for the caped crusader becomes more apparent as well as the ethical lines he’s willing to cross to get there.
Just Missed The Marc
There are many parts of Moon Knight that feel slightly unfinished and unpolished, however it’s most egregious offence that almost undoes the entire series is in the finale, despite overall being a strong entry into the six part series, with stunning sequences and a godly sized battle, we are left without any satisfying and resolute finish as it quite literally skips to the end.
With it’s purpose of being mysterious and leaving some lingering questions felt more like cheap writing and a want to save on budget so close to a satisfying standoff leaving a bitter taste in your mouth after being so close to something Marvel truly seems to struggle reaching in their move to the small screen, a strong ending.
May Calamaway as Leyla become a quick contender come the finale as a fan favourite for the series, which again only highlights how little she had been utilised up to that point. More than proving she can hold a strong presence on screen and a character we deserve to know more about, here is hoping for more Leyla in the future.
Verdict
Moon Knight is definitely not one of Marvel’s best executed outings but is one of their most intriguing. Offering just a glimpse into a whole new ancient world for the comic book adaptations to explore and build upon. Oscar Issac’s portrayal of Marc/Steven is one that grows from strength to strength as the series progresses, only let down by a fitting lack of balance between character focus and world building.
