With some very average entries like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and duds that landed flat in their final moments (Loki), Marvel has stepped up their game with the very epic, upcoming Disney+ series Moon Knight.
What makes Moon Knight shine above the past Marvel series’ is this: it doesn’t fall victim to taking itself too seriously. In fact, I had very low expectations for the Disney+ Original Series. But upon watching even just the first episode, it blew me straight out of the water.
Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), is an insomniac who works at a museum gift shop, even though he knows his life has bigger things in store for him… like becoming a museum tour guide. Everyone around him is quite disrespectful (coworkers, bosses) and think that he’s just, well, crazy. However, after having what he things is a crazy dream, he starts to realize he might actually be sleeping while his body is still awake…killing people.
This Fight Club/Indiana Jones/Batman mashup is by far the best thing to come out of Marvel since Captain America: Civil War. Directors Mohamed Diab, Justin Benson, and Aaron Moorhead all did a fantastic job when it came to keeping the show dark, mysterious, and surprisingly accurate to the mythology it follows. But that’s really no surprise considering Diab is an Egyptian himself, and it really shows how much effort and research he put into the show’s lore.
It’s easy to point out the cheesy moments in the MCU because, well, it’s Marvel. Even Spider-Man: No Way Home had a ton of those that threw me off during my viewing of the film. However, Moon Knight didn’t have any of those. At times, I had to remind myself I was watching a Marvel show because it felt like a brand new action movie that I’d never seen before.
All in all, the show is definitely not something to miss, being only six episodes and a standalone it doesn’t require too much effort or previous knowledge of the MCU. It also has incredible action sequences, a mystery that keeps you guessing, and of course the incredible acting of Oscar Isaac. However, if you’re a strong Marvel fan looking for something that ties into the new Phase 4, then you’ll probably be very disappointed.
Check out the trailer below! Catch Moon Knight only on Disney+, March 30.
