The Moon Knight finale last week almost made me beg Marvel for more. I really want more of Marc and Steven.
When Marvel first announced Moon Knight as a Disney+ series a few years ago, people were sceptic. We didn’t know how they wanted to make a show about one of Marvel’s most violent characters on a family-friendly streaming service. Then Oscar Isaac came on board showing off his training and it gave us hope.
Thankfully, Marvel delivered. They gave us a version of Moon Knight that was still violent, a little toned down, but still a badass with mental health problems. I get that they couldn’t exactly fully explore the characters violent tendencies, but my biggest critique of the show was the lack of fight scenes.
There were a bunch of action scenes, but they usually panned out, jumped between Marc’s personalities or the scenes faded out. I hope that they will give us more in season two. Apart from that, this has to be one of the best MCU products of phase 4.
To me it takes the second place in my TV show rankings, just after Loki. Moon Knight has always been one of my favourite characters and since I didn’t get to read a lot of his comics, seeing him on screen was a treat.
Oscar Isaac beautifully balances the characters two personalities. He really makes it feel like they’re two distinctive characters. The best part is both personalities experience character growth over the course of the season. Each personality also brings something special to the hero’s alter-ego.
And can we all agree that Khonshu is a jerk? But still likeable, especially since he gave us one of the most stunning MCU scenes. Layla, one of the best supporting characters in years, almost made we want a spin-off series where she just goes full-on Tomb Raider.
The series as a whole is just impressive. It has its flaws, but it is easy to look past them, because there’s so much more that the show offers. It gives us some of the best Marvel characters, a beautiful setting and awesome set pieces.
It’s also not tied to other MCU projects, so it easily serves as a standalone show. There are no big MCU cameos, but I would love to re-watch it just to catch some of the easter eggs I missed and also because the show is worth watching again.
My Verdict
Marvel’s first project of the year is simply awesome. It delivers on what they promised and sets up a story that might someday intertwine with the rest of the MCU. Is it worth watching? Definitely, it might not have the high stakes of the movies, but it has one of the best MCU stories ever told. The focus on mental health helped me connect to the character and made me feel important. So I will definitely recommend the show to everyone, even non-MCU fans.
My Rating: 9.1 out of 10 – Almost Perfect!
