Moon Knight episode 1 is now streaming on Disney Plus, with another installment dropping Wednesday. Moon Knight is the newest addition to the MCU, a more obscure Marvel hero that hasn’t appeared in the cinematic universe so far. What’s also strange about the new series is that Marvel chose Disney Plus to introduce Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight. And, from the looks of it, we have no idea when or if we’ll see the superhero in the MCU after the TV show concludes.
Before we move forward, you should know that some spoilers might follow below. If you want to avoid them, you might want to check out our spoiler-free Moon Knight review instead.
In the weeks leading to the Moon Knight premiere, Marvel made Oscar Isaac’s superhero sound like an event similar to Robert Downey Jr. igniting the universe with as Tony Stark. Moon Knight was supposed to be an MCU addition just as exciting as RDJ’s Iron Man.
Is Moon Knight an Avenger?
But it would also be very weird, Marvel and Isaac said during the press tour. They explored a less popular superhero who didn’t have an MCU presence. Moreover, the titular character suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID), which is evident in the first episode.
Marvel seemed ready to deliver another origin story that would set up a new character for multiple encounters with other Avengers down the road. And rumors said that Moon Knight might team up with various heroes in the MCU’s Midnight Sons crossover. That would put Oscar Isaac’s character(s) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) on the same team. The Avengers is another possible team-up for Moon Knight.
But Moon Knight’s MCU future isn’t written yet. Or, better said, neither Marvel nor Oscar Isaac is willing to reveal any plans for the future. It turns out that Isaac doesn’t have a Marvel contract after episode 6, which concludes the limited TV series.
Marvel also teased that Moon Knight will feel like it’s not part of the MCU. That meant we’ll get few, if any, Easter eggs connecting it with the larger story. And the show reflects that so far. Episode 1 is unlike anything we’ve seen in the MCU so far.
You feel the disconnect immediately, as there’s absolutely nothing in the story referencing the Avengers. Everything focuses on Oscar Isaac’s various personalities that come to the surface. We meet Steven, Marc, and Moon Knight in the first episode. That’s it. There’s no Avengers connection, no mention of the blip. Nothing.
Oscar Isaac’s short Marvel contract
The only thing that connects Moon Knight to the MCU right now is the viewer. You know this is part of the MCU, and you’re probably watching it after seeing many of the previous MCU projects.
While it seems likely that Marvel will want to tell other MCU stories after this first season, nothing is certain. And, it turns out, Isaac hasn’t signed a lucrative multi-year, multi-picture deal.
“I had heard of the golden handcuffs,” Isaac told Variety, “with a nervous chuckle.“
“That was something that I was reticent about. And luckily, we all agreed that this [show] is what we’re going to focus on. This is the story. And if there’s any kind of future, I think it just depends on if people like it, if people want to see more, and if we find a story that’s worth telling.”
That sort of seemingly unshackled freedom gave Isaac more room to maneuver within Marvel’s rules for the MCU. The actor came up with Steven’s British accent, something that was not met “with wild enthusiasm” initially. But Marvel and Kevin Feige trusted the actor with his Moon Knight instincts.
“I was in a position — because I wasn’t actively looking to get back into something this big — to say, ‘This is how I see it, and if you guys don’t see it that way, that’s totally okay, but then maybe it’s not the right fit,’” Isaac said. “And so I wasn’t afraid that I was going to do the wrong thing.”
Official statements aside, Marvel probably has a strategy concerning Moon Knight’s MCU future. As Isaac put it, we’ll have to wait and see if people want to see more of the character. The next episode rolls out on Wednesday.
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