After capping off 2021 with the absolute madness of Spider-Man: No Way Home, other than the hype of some early looks at the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, 2022 has been a rare slow crawl for Marvel fans. Finally, though, last week saw the start of the latest and greatest MCU entry, Moon Knight, get its premiere. And it was well worth the wait.
Much like previous newcomers such as the release of Guardians of the Galaxy back in 2014, Moon Knight was another not so well known character from the comics. Even after the trailer that was released, most were unsure what expectations to have going into the show. But the premiere spectacularly delivered on the trailer’s hints and on any ideas anyone might have had about Moon Knight.
So far the tone of the series is fantastically on point. The multiple identities aspect of the show’s protagonist is set up perfectly and everything feels very akin to the old Netflix Marvels series like Daredevil and Jessica Jones, which viewers may be seeing more continuation of on Disney+ and in future MCU projects.
Grittier, trippier and much darker and even more violent than what we’ve come to expect from the House of Mouse, Moon Knight’s premiere is a wonderful sign moving forward that Disney isn’t going to dull down any of the heroes that need more of an edge like Deadpool or the Punisher. It seems nothing is going to be forced into a PG, family friendly environment and this series as of now is a great show of faith from the company as we move into darker MCU comic material down the line - still, of course, always with a bit of that Marvel charm.
And again, this is only episode one, but Oscar Isaac is already killing it in this role. The premiere mostly centers on the twitchy, more nervous personality of Steven, which Isaac perfectly encapsulates, but there’s also glimpses of what’s to come by the episode’s end and he’s just owning every second of screen time he gets.
Oscar Isaac felt like a great choice back at the time of his casting announcement, now the Moon Knight premiere is just confirmation. He’ll be a joy to watch moving forward as Moon Knight and other personalities like Marc come out and allow the actor to shine in so many different ways. Ethan Hawke has also been set up very well as the antagonist of the show and it’ll be great to see what else comes from him as the series moves along.
If the first episode is anything to go by, the remaining installments of Moon Knight seem bound to give the likes of Loki and WandaVision a run for their money as the best of the MCU Disney+ shows. The rest of the series just needs to keep pace with this first look.
A lot of intriguing plot seeds have been planted and the tone of the show really sets itself apart from anything that’s come before. It’s amazing that Marvel is somehow still finding new and exciting ways to be innovative in their storytelling. So, be sure to check out Moon Knight if you haven’t yet already. It currently seems clear that the rest of the series and all that comes after it is still very much in the capable hands of Kevin Feige and all involved with the MCU.
Jackson Horvat is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jackson by tweeting him at @horvatjackson.
