Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight has arrived on Disney Plus, bringing to life Oscar Isaac’s brilliant performance as the character with dissociative identity disorder. Portraying both the confused Steven Grant and the mercenary Marc Spector in one frame must not have been an easy task, but Isaac manages to nail the performance with effortless grace. One could argue that so far, Isaac is the best part of the new series.
After months of waiting, Marvel fans were finally graced with some content from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The season finale of Hawkeye, the previous Disney Plus series, premiered on December 22, whereas the last MCU film Spider-Man: No Way Home arrived in theaters on December 17. Many wondered whether Moon Knight would live up to the hype, and the benchmark of typical MCU content before it premiered. And if nothing else, the first episode of the series promises some great acting by Isaac moving forward.
From the moment that Isaac appears on-screen as Grant, it becomes evident that he has a lot to offer to this role. His uncanny British accent, which became a topic of conversation on social media and even got Isaac to explain its origins, seems like a charming touch to the mild-mannered character. His interactions with his colleagues, guests at the museum, and even his single-finned goldfish bring the right amount of humor to the series.
Isaac is able to portray so many different emotions within one episode of Moon Knight, which is an absolute delight to watch. He is frustrated with his colleagues for referring to him as “Stevie” and “Scotty,” when his name is “Steven, with a V.” He expresses confusion when he wakes up in a vast field, with bleeding gums, and is immediately ambushed by multiple guards with guns.
The most terrifying moment in the episode is when Grant witnesses the Egyptian god Khonshu. The fear he feels in that moment is bound to have an impact on viewers, especially with those who possess a fear of dark hallways. When he discovers that he is missing two days of his life is the perfect display of sorrow. He’s so shocked, confused, and heart broken at the same time, he ends up ordering a beef steak even though he is a vegan, all while looking teary-eyed.
The highlight, however, is when Isaac’s Grant experiences blackouts during an action-packed sequence. While the chase scene in the cupcake truck might not be as good as the car chase sequence in Disney Plus’ Hawkeye, Isaac’s performance as someone who loses consciousness, only to discover that he has managed to kill a bunch of goons when he recovers is phenomenal. One second he is shoving a cupcake in one of the thug’s faces, and the next he is holding a gun that has somehow been fired to kill the enemy. His confusion and attempts to remain calm are humorous and concerning at the same time, as one wonders whether he will end up driving off the cliff in the midst of a transformation.
Prior to this scene, when Grant comes face-to-face with Ethan Hawke’s Arthur Harrow for the first time is also an incredible one. Grant is in possession of a scarab, which seems to be a key to something powerful, and Harrow wants it back. It becomes obvious in this moment that Grant’s alter ego Spector must have stolen this artifact from Harrow, considering the latter refers to the hero as a “mercenary.”
Grant’s attempts to return the scarab fail when he begins to communicate with Khonshu. This conversation is reminiscent of the ones between Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and the symbiote Venom in both 2018’s Venom and 2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Khonshu, who is voiced by Mythic Quest's F. Murray Abraham, commands Grant to not let go of the scarab, and in this moment, Isaac’s acting is commendable. His hilarious attempts at trying to move his limbs to hand over the scarab to Hawke’s Harrow are noteworthy.
Grant, however, is not the only character that Isaac has mastered. His momentary appearance as Spector towards the end of the episode is quite intriguing. Returning to his regular English accent, Isaac is able to portray a more steely resolve as Spector. The actor revealed that his brother, Benjamin Hernandez, helped him perfect the scenes where his alter egos are communicating with each other. It is unfortunate that Spector couldn’t make more of an appearance in the episode, as it would be interesting to see Isaac embody both alter egos for a longer period of time.
The only thing lacking in the first episode is more time with Spector. In the scenes where Grant loses consciousness, it would have been riveting to see Spector come into play, and put on a show of how he managed to defeat his enemies in such a short span of time. Perhaps it is Marvel’s way of keeping the suspense, or maintaining a family-friendly rating, but maybe the studio should consider more action, less confusion moving forward. The way Spector succeeds at managing to convince Grant to let him take control during his confrontation with a beastly jackal confirms that the character has a lot more to offer. This was only the first episode, and the perfect introduction to Isaac’s character and its alter ego. The plot is already compelling, and there’s hopefully more action in the future episodes.
Moon Knight is now streaming on Disney Plus.