A new kind of hero

Marvel has yet again continued their streak of TV series; however, this one stars a new hero: Moon Knight (Oscar Issac). They have decided to keep up with all Marvel comic heroes, especially the less popular ones. Each week, I am excited to watch the newest episode to see how the story will play out, and I have yet to be disappointed. 

(Warning: some spoilers are contained in the story)

The series is new to Disney+, released on March 30, and updated every Wednesday. There are expected to be six episodes, similar to other mini-series released in the last year such as “Loki,” “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “Hawkeye.” While the others depicted well-known characters in the Marvel cinematic universe, “Moon Knight” introduces a new hero, never seen before on the big screens. This drew me in right away, because rather than sticking with what they knew, such as creating a new “Spiderman” series, they have transferred to developing and expanding their franchise that will hopefully lead to more intriguing films and interactions between heroes.

We are first introduced to Steven Grant who works at a gift shop for an Egyptian exhibit in a museum in London. He is seen chaining himself to his own bed, leaving the audience to wonder why he would do such a thing. This kept me watching, as nothing was for certain in the first episode. It was very confusing to follow, which usually deters me away from shows such as this one; however, it made me want to finish and know what was happening right away, making me have high expectations for the series from the start.

Steven is thrown into an unfamiliar world in which there are times he is conscious, but other times he is not. Rather, time seems to skip for him, leading him to question the reality of his world. This continues to affect him and his life, especially when he tries to go on a date with a girl he has liked for the longest time, Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy). He wakes up days later thinking it is the time the two planned on meeting up, only to realize it is actually two days later. After that incident, more and more strange things started to occur. All the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more. Once again, the confusion has led to a more interesting storyline leaving me intrigued with the series more than ever.

The cause for all the craziness was Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as DID. That is what Steven has. His counterpart, Marc Spector, is learned to be the first and true identity of this new complicated character. It is learned that Marc is actually an avatar chosen by the Egyptian god Khonshu. In the newest episode, it is foreshadowed that the most destructive side of Moon Knight, seen in the comics, could also make an appearance: Jake Lockley. This could potentially lead to a more interesting dynamic between Steven and his newly learned counterparts. 

One thing that I must applaud would be how the series treats the disorder. Compared to the comics, the series has done a fair job of showing the reality of someone living with DID. In the comics, Moon Knight is seen as more violent when Marc is in control, portraying him as more of a villain compared to Steven. Hollywood and other major movie franchises are known to depict people with DID in this way. With Marvel going the opposite direction, they are shining light on the stigmas placed on those with the disorder: that people with DID are more violent than others, which is untrue. People with DID aren’t more prone to violence than someone without the disorder meaning they are not more dangerous. This shows how far Marvel has come when it comes to diversifying their franchise, as well as ensuring they are depicting different people with different traits and abilities correctly, or as close as possible, to avoid such labels and myths.

If audience viewership is high enough, the series has a chance to be renewed for a second season. So far, over 1.8 million households tuned in for the premiere of the show. That viewership is the second-highest for a mini-series on the Disney+ platform, tying with “Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” If the series continues to do well, more people will be inclined to finish the series, such as myself. 

Personally, I hope for renewal because of the potential “Moon Knight” holds in the Marvel cinematic universe. In the comics, Moon Knight and Spiderman are shown to confront one another, leading to a very entertaining battle between the characters. I would love to witness this on the big screen as a continuation of the show or even as an individual film itself. Seeing this new character interact with old ones will allow Marvel to expand rather than not continuously repeating and playing off of old characters, which over time gets boring.

Marvel has yet to disappoint with their mini-series, and “Moon Knight” is by far my favorite. If you ever find yourself searching through different TV viewing platforms, not being able to find a single show, “Moon Knight” won’t disappoint.

5/5