Moon Knight Series Reaction – New Disney+ Series Shakes Up MCU Formula – No Spoilers

Before the pandemic, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was the first of the Disney+ series from Marvel Studios supposed to premiere. It is the series most like one of the MCU films in terms of tone and execution. However, a twist in shooting schedules meant WandaVision would be our introduction, a series unlike anything Marvel Studios had done before. The other shows, Loki and Hawkeye surprised us, too. The reaction to the Moon Knight series on Disney+ will be interesting, because this story shakes up the MCU formula a lot like Wanda’s show did. It is the most fantastical Marvel Studios project yet, save for maybe Doctor Strange. Even Eternals, which may share a thin link to the show, isn’t so ostentatious.

The other interesting thing about Moon Knight is that this series feels rather disconnected from the MCU. Other than an inference in Eternals’ direction, there is one line that directly connects this world to the MCU as we know it. This is likely by design. We know more about the story than the character for the first act of the miniseries. Yet, as the Moon Knight series unfolds, the reaction the storytellers want is doubt about reality and whether or not this even is the MCU.

Fear not, there will be no spoilers in this reaction to the Moon Knight series, and not because Disney+ would be very cranky about ruining the MCU surprises. This is a story where we already go in knowing a little too much, at first.

How the Moon Knight Show Shakes up the Disney+ MCU Even Further

Image via Marvel Studios

The Moon Knight series looks a lot like the other Disney+ MCU shows we’ve seen, at least in terms of a consistent visual style. There are deliberate and intentional filmmaking choices. In this case, a lot of camera moves shifting perspective. Things turn upside-down, right-side up, and we see a lot of reflections before we see the “real thing.” Like other Marvel Studios joints, it’s bright, colorful, and – to put it bluntly – looks like money.

Not all of the VFX shots were complete in the four episodes Comic Years was able to screen. It reminded me that in a Marvel Studios project, every shot can be a VFX shot. Grand vistas and locations can be almost completely VFX save for a circle of ground containing the actors. In fact, because of the CG-heavy nature of Moon Knight’s costume, we don’t see that much of the character in action. This actually feels a lot like Marvel TV shows of old. Sort of how you got Lou Ferrigno twice an hour in an episode of The Incredible Hulk. The MCU doesn’t shy away from using their heroes in costume, even if they are VFX heavy. Robert Downey, Jr. didn’t wear an armor costume after the first film, after all. In fact, if there is any negative reaction to the Moon Knight series at all, it will probably be anger at Disney+ for not giving them enough of the titular character.

Still, the money was not wasted. The locations they show visits are impressive, and they do a lot to show you that they actually are in the desert or in eastern Europe. Even more impressively, this series eschews any kind of former MCU formula. Well, save for one.

Marvel Studios Wants Moon Knight to Get a Brand-New Reaction from MCU Fans

Image via Marvel Studios

If you are a fan of the comics history of Moon Knight, you have a perception of this character as a kind of even more mentally unstable Batman. Rather than lean into this, Marvel has instead embraced the more magical side of the character. Specifically, that the Egyptian gods are real, living in a place known as the overvoid. (A word associated to comics, just those published by DC Comics. It’s the primal source of creation in their multiverse.) The multiple characters played by Oscar Isaac are fairly recognizable to comics fans, yet the story is much different. Still, enough elements are there for comics fans, especially the action scenes with Moon Knight, from hopping rooftops to the vicious beatdowns.

The series does lag in places. The first episode, for example, plays as if none of the audiences have seen the Moon Knight trailer. Then tension that the audience feels is more anticipation, and thus we don’t quite ride along on the emotional journey Steven is going through. It is good characterization, though. I like Steven a lot more than I did going in. Marc Spector gets a pass because he just sounds like Oscar Isaac, and the actor is as likeable in all his roles here as he is everywhere.

Ethan Hawke also shines as Arthur Harrow, a villain with a connection to Steven and Marc they are unaware of at first. As they’ve shown us in the marketing, he is a religious figure. Yet, he’s also a political figure, the kind of villain who keeps the upper hand. And his backup plans have backup plans. Yet, Hawke really walks the line of making the villain unlikeable and understanding why people choose to follow him.

Moon Knight debuts new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+ starting March 30.

What do you think? Leave your own reaction to the Moon Knight series premiere on Disney+ and let us know how you think it fits into the larger MCU. Should we trust the reality we’re experiencing, or should we be as suspicious as Steven? Let us know your thoughts, theories, and reactions in the comments below.

Featured image via Marvel Studios

Joshua M. Patton is a father, veteran, and writer living in Pittsburgh, PA. The first books he read on his own were comics, and he's loved the medium ever since. He is the greatest star-pilot in the galaxy, a cunning warrior, and a good friend. His book of superhero short stories, Tales of Adventure & Fantasy: Book One is available as an ebook or paperback from Amazon.