Marvel fans seem to still be trying to get a handle on the tone of the MCU’s Phase Four. The projects, to date, haven’t been very connected – a mix of origin stories for characters such as Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and the Eternals, as well as Disney+ shows that hint at the extension of the Multiverse… and whatever it is that Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) did to that innocent New Jersey suburb. The stories have mostly all been entertaining, but the throughline is tough to identify. Moon Knight producer Grant Curtis, however, seems to see a direction for upcoming Marvel stories, and it veers towards darker territories, starting with this new show.
The first episode of Moon Knight just dropped, and critics already are referring to it as one of the best Disney+ shows available at the moment. The episodes are a showcase for Oscar Isaac, who plays a man suffering from disassociative personality disorder, while also being forced to serve as the tool of vengeance for the Egyptian god Khonshu. It’s complicated. And dark. Which Moon Knight producer tells us is part of the larger MCU plan, explaining:
I’m so excited about some of the stuff that’s coming up at Marvel that does have a slightly darker edge. When you do look at the tones and the themes that we deal with in Moon Knight, and we talked about the action-adventure of it all, the intense character study, the horror, the comedy… all of that – the mind-bending journey that he goes on. I think he merges well in any corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But honestly, when you look at the Doctor Stranges of the world, when you do look at Blade, when you look at all of those other shows that embrace what goes bump in the night, I’m excited about the future that Kevin (Feige) has in his mind, and I can’t wait to see where this character and many more land.
It does feel like, outside of the core franchise that will continue to crank out sequels, Marvel is taking a few steps toward the more mature content with the promise of a vampire story for Blade (Mahershala Ali) and this dive into mental health and vengeance that’s on display in Moon Knight. In addition to the work being done by the mercenary Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac) in the name of Khonshu, there’s an antagonist played by Ethan Hawke who also serves a vengeful force, and told us in our exclusive cast interviews that he’s dangerous because he thinks that what he’s doing is right. Always the trickiest form of a villain. Outside of Disney+, the Marvel movies are about to unleash perhaps the strongest version of a beloved character when Scarlet Witch (Olsen) shows up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. I mean, who wants to go toe-to-toe with this powerhouse?
We will see how much darker Moon Knight ends up getting. The first of six episodes have dropped, and the final sequence in the debut episode is certainly memorable. Shift over to movies and keep track of all of the upcoming Marvel movies coming to theaters the rest of 2022 and beyond, as well.
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