Ahead of the release of , the latest TV series to launch on Plus, fans were hoping the live-action take on the character would be a fitting homage to the comics, unleashing darkness and brutality galore.
They can rest assured that the , who is able to masterfully convey the protagonist’s inner torment and darkly funny humour in a show unlike anything seen in the MCU so far – complete with Indiana Jones references, and a vital focus on mental health.
Moon Knight follows the tale of Marc Spector, a Jewish-American mercenary with dissociative identity disorder who also happens to be a conduit for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu, which is how he’s able to summon his unique superhero suit.
However, Marc isn’t the first personality that viewers will watch Oscar portray, as the series opens with the actor embodying the persona of an awkward British museum gift shop worker called Steven Grant, another of Marc’s distinct identities.
Steven believes that he suffers from a sleeping disorder, resulting in him becoming extremely fatigued as he stumbles his way through his days.
After experiencing blank spots in his memory and waking up in peculiar – and extremely dangerous – situations, he discovers Marc lurking in the back of his mind, as well as learning about the hold Khonshu has on their lives.
Having played two Marvel characters in the past – the villainous mutant Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse and Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – this wasn’t Oscar’s first rodeo in the world of superheroes.
Nonetheless, Moon Knight still marks a new avenue for the Star Wars actor and the MCU on the whole, as the series delves deep into mythology, the supernatural and delivers violence more reminiscent – although not quite at the same level – of .
At first, fans might find – which has been the cause of much debate online – quite jarring, given its similarity to Dick Van Dyke’s on-the-nose cockney in Mary Poppins.
In all honesty, after just a few minutes, any thought of the strangeness of Steven’s voice will be of little to no concern, such as the captivating nature of Oscar’s performance as he brilliantly flits between personas, changing everything from his characters’ voices to their mannerisms from head to toe.
Oscar’s transformation could be compared to Christopher Reeve’s Superman, who was famously able to demonstrate with a simple change in his posture how a bespectacled Clark Kent could indeed hide in plain sight as the powerful superhero.
However, Oscar’s ability to tap into the character’s inner turmoil and provide viewers with a glimpse of what it’s like to grapple with multiple identities is what makes it clear that he was the perfect choice for the part.
The Ex Machina star is joined by a stellar cast of actors, including Ethan Hawke as the menacing cult leader Arthur Harrow, who serves the Egyptian goddess Ammit; , a woman connected to Marc’s past; and F Murray Abraham delivering a booming voice as Khonshu, with Karim El-Hakim providing the on-set performance for the character.
Ethan’s Harrow is harrowing to say the least, with his first scene likely to make viewers grimace in horror across the globe, while May marks an extremely exciting addition to the MCU, undoubtedly one of the biggest scene-stealers of the series.
While fans will be expecting the darkness that comes with Moon Knight, they might not have anticipated the show also being extremely funny, much of which comes courtesy of Steven, whose naturally awkward manner results in him inadvertently injecting humour into otherwise dramatic scenarios.
This can also be seen when Steven suits up as the jolly Mr Knight, rocking a waistcoat, jacket and tie, marking a stark contrast to Marc’s vengeful, bloodthirsty Moon Knight.
The series moves at a rapid pace from the start, taking viewers on a whirlwind adventure that will undoubtedly draw comparisons to the likes of National Treasure and Indiana Jones, as well as Daredevil.
There are some who claim Moon Knight is Marvel’s answer to the Batman – but from watching the first four episodes, it’s clear that the character is very much his own entity, who will be fascinating to follow as he (hopefully) crosses paths with other MCU characters in the near future.
Despite everything that unfolds in the first four instalments we were given access to watch ahead of release for this review, it’s clear that Marvel is waiting until the final two episodes of the show to pull out the big guns… and that’s really saying something.
As the first new MCU character to helm his own show, prepare for Moon Knight to become many people’s favourite hero.
Verdict on Moon Knight
It will be curious to see how fans react to Moon Knight, whether diehard fans of the comics will receive the live-action depiction of the character in the same way as viewers being introduced to him at the same time, as some elements of the show are likely to divide opinion.
In the original source material, Marc has a very extremely intriguing backstory, so it will be interesting to see how much of that can be explored to as great an extent as possible throughout the six-episode arc.
One of the most important themes of the show is the focus on mental health, which it delves into with what the creators undoubtedly hope will be perceived as sensitivity – although this will of course be up to experts in the mental health field to determine.
On first impressions, Moon Knight is experimental, unique, an exciting ride and delivers a brilliant new character to the MCU, all the while boasting action-packed and emotion-filled sequences to boot. A win-win, in our books.
Moon Knight premieres on Wednesday March 30 with episodes released on a weekly basis.
