Moon Knight, Disney +
Marvel's foray into the small screen has been an undoubted success to date and that is due in no small part to the more contained, world-building brand of storytelling that the mini-series naturally lends itself to. Of course, this being the superhero genre, there is still a tendency for things to descend into a smorgasbord of special effects, but the journey to the finale is often satisfying.
Moon Knight is arguably the most ambitious of Marvel's Disney + projects to date in the sense that it positions itself as being separate from the wider MCU. There are no Avengers cameos and very little reference to the wider narrative that is taking shape over Phase 4 of the long-gestating canon of films.
Instead, the series is focused solely on Steven Grant, a nerdy Brit who is unknowingly suffering from dissociative identity disorder. He and his supposed alter ego, the more rugged Marc Spector, are played by Oscar Isaac, who does well to steer clear of Keanu Reeves territory on the accent front. It's another great turn from an actor that has consistently forged a reputation for being one of the best of his generation over the past couple of years, and the fact that he is opposite the equally excellent Ethan Hawke (here playing the villainous Arthur Harrow) is a real treat.
Mohamed Diab does a great job of blending Ancient Egypt with the more generic elements that come with any Marvel project. While I found the series finale to be a disappointingly familiar affair, there are preceding moments (in particular the outstanding fourth episode) which feel genuinely unique from anything I've seen from the MCU beforehand. Nobody can say that the franchise isn't at least attempting to deal with deep and challenging themes, in spite of how things may initially seem on the surface.
That being said, Moon Knight's ending did feel a little whimpering to me. As said, episode four (and to a lesser extent episode five) went well beyond the constraints of typical superhero fare and so it was disappointing to see things concluded with a paint-by-numbers, CGI-induced battle. But I guess that is the price you pay with this genre and can't really be avoided.
Whether a second series is commissioned or not, Moon Knight can be considered a successful attempt to integrate one of Marvel's lesser known (anti) heroes into its cinematic universe.
