Imagine waking up one day in a different location. You have no idea where you are. You have no idea how much time has passed. People are chasing you. Naturally, something must be wrong. For Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), this is the case in “Moon Knight,” the newest Marvel series on Disney+.
In the pilot episode of “Moon Knight” we meet Steven Grant, a mild mannered museum gift shop employee who struggles to get a date, take care of his pet fish, and is now dealing with strange black outs in his everyday life. He quickly discovers that he has Dissociative Identity Disorder and shares a body with Marc Spector, a mercenary who has also become the avatar for the Egyptian god Khonshu. Steven must learn to cope with his newly realized identity while learning about his dangerous and thrilling life. He is aided by Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy), Marc’s wife and thrilling partner in crime. They must work together to stop Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), a devoted follower of the goddess Ammit, who has plans to resurrect the deity. Upon this goddess’ resurrection, every human will face judgment based on their potential to be good or evil.
As the newest chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Moon Knight” has some big shoes to fill in regards to establishing new characters and storylines. Overall, the show does a great job guiding the audience through a fresh and thrilling journey. Many characters who discover they have superpowers have to grow into their hero persona, but Steven is simply thrust into the action by surprise as Marc has held the Moon Knight moniker for quite some time. After over a decade of Marvel’s storytelling in a superhero world, we as an audience have seen the rise of superheroes, their team ups, their fall outs and their battles for the fate of humanity. While some stories have had lower stakes than others, it is refreshing to see a character’s origin be as unique as Marc/ Steven’s.
A highlight of the show is Oscar Isaac’s entertaining performance as Steven Grant/ Marc Spector/ Moon Knight/ Mr. Knight (Steven’s superpowered alter ego when assuming the powers of Khonshu). Having to become multiple different characters sharing one body, the protagonist of “Moon Knight” is no easy feat, but Oscar Isaac gives a brilliant performance with range between the cutthroat mercenary Marc and the mild mannered Steven. We see Isaac react to the world around him with two different characters while also interacting with himself in his reflections. Many fans of the actor will know him from iconic blockbuster roles like Poe Dameron in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, Apocalypse in “X-Men: Apocalypse” or Duke Leto Atreides in “Dune.” Isaac’s resume is certainly impressive, and “Moon Knight” is the latest addition to his appealing repertoire. While there was no doubt concerning Isaac’s ability to take on the role(s) of the protagonist of the newest Marvel series, the skilled actor assumes the role of a character with multiple complex identities effortlessly. Any fan of the actor would be missing out not to watch his newest outing as an internally conflicted superhuman.
Many fans of the superhero genre may be exhausted from Marvel’s consistent recent releases of new solo series on Disney+. However, “Moon Knight” is worth watching for its interesting take on a character’s origin. So far, it appears that “Moon Knight” has no connection to prior Marvel Cinematic Universe outings with the exception of the setting, so even a casual viewer would be able to enjoy the series without having to catch up on the entire Infinity Saga and newest projects as part of Marvel’s Phase 4.
Ultimately, “Moon Knight” is worth checking out for any fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Oscar Isaac, or viewers looking to watch more from Marvel or Oscar Isaac. The series is an exciting take on the rising hero that is sure to leave fans looking forward to the next episode in large part due to Oscar Isaac’s complex role(s).
“Moon Knight” is available to stream on Disney+.