The first season of Marvel's Moon Knight, available to stream on Disney+, followed Oscar Isaac as he portrayed a man with dissociative identity disorder who, in addition to having multiple personalities or 'alters', becomes a vessel for the Egyptian god Khonshu. Steven Grant, the most mild-mannered of the alters, is an innocent gift shop employee who keeps to himself despite his yearning for company and affection. Instead of going on dates, Grant goes home after work, chaining himself to his own bed before going to sleep, as the much darker Marc Spector takes control of his mind and body overnight. In addition to Grant and Spector, their body also holds Jake Lockley, a Spanish-speaking third alter who develops a personal arrangement with Khonshu, unbeknownst to the other two.

Grant, Spector, and Lockley's semblance of a routine is disrupted when Grant begins losing time during the day, regaining consciousness only to discover himself in bizarre circumstances and hear strange voices. Grant soon learns that his Spector has invited Khonshu to use their body as a vessel, prompting them to be approached by Khonshu's former avatar, Arthur Harrow. Moon Knight's first season follows Grant, Spector, and Spector's wife, Layla, as they use Khonshu's powers to stop Harrow from becoming a vessel to another goddess, Ammitt, who plans to kill every human who has committed an evil act. Spector and Grant ultimately succeed in imprisoning Ammitt in Harrow's body, achieving a new symbiosis in the process as Spector reveals himself to be the original personality in their body and admits that he created Grant as a coping mechanism for childhood abuse.

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The Case for Moon Knight Season 2

While season 1 appears to offer a complete resolution for Spector, Grant, and their journey with Khonshu, it's a Marvel series, which means there is always a post-credits scene. In their fight to subdue Ammitt, Spector and Grant resisted Khonshu's urging to kill Harrow and, subsequently, the goddess inside him. In the midst of the credits scroll of the season's final episode, "Gods and Monsters", Spector and Grant's third alter, Jake Lockley, kills Harrow as Khonshu wanted. This suggests that Grant and Spector aren't as finished with Khonshu as they thought, as their body is continuing to work with him through Lockley. This post-credits scene opens the door for another chapter in the Moon Knight story where the now-united Grant and Spector reckon with their third alter, whose history is largely unknown.

Moon Knight has also arguably earned itself a second season through the praise the first received. The performances of its A-List cast (Oscar Isaac is also joined by Ethan Hawke) have received accolades, as has the subject matter of the show itself. While Spector and Grant are depicted as whole and endearing, the show is also a dark, dramatic, and serious story of good and evil, as well as a holistic depiction of dissociative identity disorder. The show has a rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting that it was very well received by viewers and a second season would be welcome.

The Case Against Moon Knight Season 2

Aside from the doors re-opened in the finale's post-credits scene, Moon Knight's story reaches a full and satisfying conclusion at the end of season 1. Both emotionally, with the communication and healing seen between Grant and Spector, and plot-wise, with the successful imprisonment of Ammitt, Moon Knight's first season leaves little unanswered. The few plot points that remain to be developed- mainly Jack Lockley- could be seen as easter eggs to those familiar with the fleshed-out comic book character, rather than plot holes in the quality television series.

In addition, the six-episode season was conceptualized as a limited series, and is still largely referenced as such. Both IMDb and Wikipedia catalog the show as a TV Miniseries. It's unclear at the moment if Oscar Isaac will return for a second season, but he is not currently contractually obligated to make more Moon Knight, and a conversation with comicbook.com at the time of the first season's release sheds some light on the show's intentions when making season 1. While a second season is looking much more likely now than it did in May 2022, tacking another season onto a show that was only conceptualized for one can be a recipe for ruining a beloved story. Despite fans' desire for a second season, it's certainly possible that it would only detract from everything that was so special about the first.

Verdict: Does Moon Knight Season 2 Need to Happen?

Does Moon Knight season 2 need to happen? No. Could Moon Knight season 2 happen in an emotionally and narratively fulfilling way? Yes... potentially. Jake Lockley wasn't thrown into the post-credits scene as an afterthought; throughout the season, both Spector and Grant lost time that the other could not account for. Most notably, neither Spector nor Grant were conscious during the climactic battle in which their body managed to overpower Harrow, and through him, Ammitt. With the important context revealed in this season of how Grant came to exist in Spector's body, the same question begs to be answered for Lockley.

However, the cast and creators' initial framing of Moon Knight as a limited series raises some concerns. While there is material there to work with in future seasons, it's clear that it wasn't the show's original plan to tackle those things. When a show changes direction in this way, extending its run longer than planned, it's likely that that change is motivated by the first season's success and profit, rather than an unresolved story. When that's the case, the outcome can feel rushed, stretched, and like the show has overstayed its welcome. Sticking to its singular six-episode run may be the safest way to protect Moon Knight''s reputation as one of Marvel's most prestigious installments, as disappointing as this may be to some fans.

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