After a long wait, Marvel’s latest superhero has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the new series Moon Knight. With the first episode now streaming on Disney Plus, fans have met Oscar Isaac’s Steven Grant/Marc Spector, and witnessed his dissociative identity disorder. With this series, though, the studio has set off on a new journey, when trying to bring in a low profile comic book character into the larger, more glamorous universe.
Over the past few years, Marvel has reworked many of its original characters that were introduced into the MCU two decades ago. Most of the content in Phase 4 of the MCU has also dug deeper into the stories of existing characters. However, with Moon Knight, the studio has taken a bold step towards focusing on a character that isn’t as popular as its predecessors, and the main challenge now is to turn him into a household name.
The premiere episode of Moon Knight was reminiscent of the early MCU films, including Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger, and promised to build from the ground up. While bringing an entirely new character into the MCU, the first episode of Moon Knight seemed like a breath of fresh air, with the character not being overshadowed by fan expectations. The studio has more flexibility in molding the character to their own specifications, rather than taking him on a journey that is bombarded with fan theories and viral memes.
Based on the Marvel Comics character, which was originally created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin, Moon Knight brings to life the character that comic book fans have been reading about since 1975. It is the first Disney Plus and Marvel series to be narrating a superhero origin story. While his backstory has already been revealed in the comics, it will be interesting to see how the television adaptation tackles Moon Knight’s origins.
That said, it is going to be an uphill journey nonetheless. For fans to accept this new character into the MCU fold is where the real battle begins. With its dark undertones and horror elements, Moon Knight might be able to set itself apart from typical MCU content, but fans have now become used to the glamour associated with all the other superheroes and have established a certain benchmark for Marvel content.
As part of Phase 4 of the MCU, the studio has been building on regular cameos from different heroes in many of their projects. Moon Knight, on the other hand, is one of the few projects that are not related to the larger universe, and any potential cameos from one of the Avengers seem highly unlikely. Fans have come to love the crossovers, and not being able to deliver on that front could work as a disadvantage for the latest Disney Plus series.
Additionally, the MCU content relies on its interconnected narrative. Fans spend months theorizing over who could potentially make a cameo in upcoming films or television series, due to the interrelated plot lines in the Marvel Comics. Recent MCU projects seem to have perfected this recipe for success, while offering deeper character development that fans seem to value. It is the perfect formula to get fans to return to theaters or tune in to Disney Plus to see how the sacred timeline unravels. But, Moon Knight doesn’t have any of those ingredients in its corner.
Fans of the Marvel Comics are bound to know Moon Knight’s story, and how he evolves over time. But, the series also deviates from some of the main points in the comics. For instance, Steven Grant is the hero’s high-society millionaire alter ego in the comics, but the series portrays him as a down-to-earth museum gift shop employee. For MCU fans to be able to connect to this hero and his multiple personalities, none of whom really have any association with any of the popular superheroes, is a hurdle that the studio will need to cross, and fast.
On the flip side, Moon Knight is similar to the other heroes in more ways than one. While Marvel fans could narrate every single important incident in the MCU’s timeline without batting an eyelash, they have to remember that those heroes also started small. When Robert Downey Jr. first appeared as Iron Man in the 2008 film of the same name, fans didn’t expect him to go on to become a household name over the course of the next two decades.
The same applies to Chris Evans’ Captain America, Scarlet Johansson’s Black Widow, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye. However, when The Avengers released in 2012, it became evident that all these characters were here to stay, and go down in cinematic history as some of the most popular names to have been adapted for the big screen.
Many of the MCU films are among the list of top-grossing movies in Hollywood, with the latest release Spider-Man: No Way Home becoming the third highest grossing film at the domestic box office. The television series that have been released as part of Phase 4 have also received a lot of praise and positive feedback from both fans and critics. So, Moon Knight could just be on a path to greatness, and the series is just the character’s humble beginning. Either way, Marvel has set out on a new path with its latest series, and only time will tell whether it was worth it all.
Moon Knight is now streaming on Disney Plus.
More: Oscar Isaac Reveals Which British Comedians Inspired His Moon Knight Performance
