Warning: spoilers ahead for episode 1 of on Plus.
The release date for new MCU TV series Moon Knight has finally arrived, with making a splash in the high-octane adventure.
In the first episode of the programme, which came a day after illuminating reviews about the show were published, viewers are introduced to Steven Grant, a British museum gift shop worker who lives a somewhat humdrum life in .
However, they soon discover that , as he finds himself waking up in unexpected places after blank spots in his memory and begins to hear voices in his head.
It’s revealed that Steven is one of the identities of Jewish-American mercenary Marc Spector, who has dissociative identity disorder and is also a conduit for the.
The first episode sees Steven – as well as Marc – cross paths with disturbing cult leader Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) and his disciples, who has been imbued with a power of his own through his dedication to the Egyptian goddess Ammit.
Arthur Harrow wins most chilling entrance in the MCU
Following on from Marvel villains including Thanos, the Red Skull and Hela, saying that Harrow has one of the most chilling entrances in the MCU is really saying something.
The show opens with the cult leader performing a ritual of sorts, appearing very calm in demeanour before smashing a glass… and pouring the shattered pieces into his shoes.
As he walks away with a cane in hand, with Bob Dylan’s Every Grain of Sand playing in the background, it’s immediately made apparent that as Harrow isn’t afraid to inflict pain on himself, who knows what he’s capable of when it comes to other people.
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Steven Grant finds out
Steven explains in Moon Knight that he suffers from a sleep disorder, going to extreme lengths to make sure that he stays in bed.
He tethers himself to the bed by his ankle, and pours sand in a circle around his bed, so that if he were to get up in the night, he would know in the morning.
However, despite the precautions he has put in place, he wakes up one day in a field in an unknown territory, where he is targeted by gunmen, much to his horror.
He comes across Harrow surrounded by his followers where the leader uses his superpowered cane to kill a woman who has been deemed as a bad person.
Steven also finds a gold scarab in his pocket, something that Harrow clearly wants to get his hands on.
After blanking out again, Steven wakes up to find himself in the middle of a high-speed car chase, having somehow left several of Harrow’s men bloodied in a street fight.
When he wakes up in his apartment in London, he’s convinced it was all a dream… that is, until he spots Harrow following him on the bus.
Steven uncovers secrets as Marc Spector lurks in shadows
After waking up from what he believes was a dream, Steven finds a mobile phone stashed away in his apartment, filled with numerous missed calls from a woman called Layla, and one from an individual named Duchamp.
He picks up the phone when he receives a call from Layla, and is left utterly befuddled when she addresses him as Marc.
When Marc starts to speak to Steven through his reflection, the flees into the lift, where he’s left terrified by the sight of Khonshu approaching him in the corridor.
He closes his eyes, and when he opens them again, he’s awoken on the bus… where he spies Harrow following him, confirmation that what he experienced with the cult leader and his followers was in fact real.
Harrow confronts Steven at his place of work in the museum, using his cane – which is like a magical scale – to assess whether or not he’s a good person or not.
After Harrow witnesses ‘chaos’ brewing inside Steven, an Egyptian Jackal begins chasing the gift shop worker, leaving him cornered in the bathroom, at a loss as to what to do.
Moon Knight arrives in the nick of time and unleashes hell
While in his sticky predicament, Marc implores Steven through his reflection in the mirror to let him take over his body, so that he can fight the Jackal and save their lives.
Steven is initially reluctant, but eventually realises relenting is his only option.
Marc is given the power to take over, showcasing the powers of Moon Knight as he decimates the Jackal on the bathroom floor.
This shows just a hint of what Moon Knight and Marc are capable of, as the masked crusader strides away from the scene.
Moon Knight is available to watch on Disney Plus with new episodes released on Wednesdays.
