The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the most successful movie franchise of all time. Both financially and in the eyes of the public, this superhero universe is a tremendous success worthy of much acclaim. For the most part, however, Marvel movies and television shows can be somewhat formulaic. The good guy attempts to beat the bad guy, struggles, and eventually redeems themselves – usually in combat. Sprinkle in a few memorable orchestral pieces and quintessential Marvel humor, and that is a wrap.
There have been a couple of noteworthy exceptions to the humorous and lighthearted nature of the MCU. First, the Winter Soldier brought a certain darkness and ruthlessness to the MCU that previous villains had not. Then, the Black Widow’s tragic backstory pulled on audiences’ proverbial heartstrings.
Most importantly, then there was Thanos. The Mad Titan successfully killed half of all living things in the MCU, bringing a definitive harshness to Avengers: Infinity War that had not been present in previous Marvel projects. In March, audiences around the world will be introduced to yet another dark character from Marvel Comics: Moon Knight. The Moon Knight television series will give Marvel an opportunity to stylistically shift yet again. Moon Knight is an extremely rich and complex superhero who will intellectually and emotionally challenge the audience.
What is Real?
From early on in the Moon Knight television series, audiences should learn that the protagonist cannot be trusted to dispel reality to the audience. As the trailer for the show demonstrates, this is because Moon Knight has sleep problems where he cannot discern between his waking life and dreams.
Marvel has tampered with reality in past projects. WandaVision created a false narrative of reality that was only dispelled towards the end of its inaugural season. Loki introduced the concept of varying timelines. Spider-Man: No Way Home demonstrated that the multiverse exists. Lastly, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness looks to expand on what little audiences know about the multiverse at this time.
However, Moon Knight will make audiences question reality in a different way. In the previously mentioned Marvel projects, the audience largely knows what is real, but the same cannot be said for the characters. In Moon Knight, neither will know what is real and what is fiction. Fans will be along for a truly wild ride.
More Representation
Marvel has been pretty admirable lately when it comes to diversity and representation. Two 2021 projects, Eternals and Hawkeye feature characters with hearing disabilities. These are the first times Marvel has tackled issues around disability.
Moon Knight should further this trend for Marvel. The white-clad superhero has dissociative identity disorder, or DID. In the comics, he goes by several names, each with a different personality and backstory. Hopefully, this will prove educational for the public, and produce empathy for folks who have DID and similar mental disorders.
The Darkest Turn for Marvel?
Although Marvel has a lighthearted formula, it is not a stranger when it comes to dark characters and storylines. However, Moon Knight might make the darkest turn yet for the MCU. As a general rule of thumb, Marvel superheroes do not kill unless they are in a wartime scenario. Captain America and Iron Man have killed onscreen, but even they rarely dispatch foes with the hard goodbye.
On the other hand, Moon Knight relishes violence. He wears white so that criminals can see him approaching. Taskmaster does not mimic his fighting style because it takes on too much punishment. Lastly, Moon Knight has no qualm with brutalizing or even killing his enemies.
Moon Knight Will Yet Again Expand on a Culture’s Mythology
Moon Knight is often referred to as the Fist of Khonshu. Khonshu is the Egyptian god of the moon. In Marvel Comics, Khonshu appears to Moon Knight on occasion, and Moon Knight is his herald. At present, the two have a tense relationship in Marvel Comics.
Other Marvel properties have dug into various cultures and faiths. Thor explored Norse mythology, with the rainbow bridge and the world tree giving a rich complexity to our known universe. Black Panther ascribed the Egyptian goddess Bast to Wakandan culture. Moon Knight will have the opportunity to dig deeper into Egyptian history, culture, and religion than Thor or Black Panther simply because it is a television series. The medium gives more time for a richer exploration of Egyptian mythology.
Moon Knight promises to be a dark and gritty Disney+ television series. Beyond that, it should be intellectually challenging, violent, and as close to the horror genre as Marvel will likely ever get. Moon Knight has a bit of a cult following among die-hard Marvel Comics fans, and is sure to capture the imagination of a new batch of fans later in March.
Moon Knight streams only on Disney+ starting March 30th.