Marvel Studios is about to release what promises to be its most complex and mature TV series with the upcoming Moon Knight. Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector, a former U.S. Marine who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, could well be one of the most complicated and multi-faceted protagonists in the whole MCU. But with its psychological themes and powerful yet damaged hero, Moon Knight actually has some similarities with another Marvel show. But one that takes place outside the MCU and is vastly underrated.
FX’s Legion, which launched in 2017, was the first TV offshoot of Fox’s X-Men franchise. From Fargo creator Noah Hawley, the series followed Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast) as David Haller, a psychiatric patient who discovers he’s one of the most powerful mutants in existence. Comic book readers will know he’s also the son of Professor X. Running for three seasons until 2019, Legion failed to achieve mainstream success, but it was met with critical acclaim.
As Redditor u/Gotchapawn said on the r/MarvelStudios subreddit, there are a lot of things that Moon Knight could learn from Legion.
Many fans in the comments agreed that it’s one of the greatest Marvel shows ever made.
The first season, in particular, is often said to be its finest.
Alongside Hawley’s bold, unpredictable scripts, Legion‘s cinematography and score are second to none.
Characters with mental health issues have to be portrayed with care, of course, and the terms the OP used in their post caused offense for some (the OP apologizes repeatedly for their word choice in the comments).
This has led some to worry that Moon Knight isn’t going to hit the right balance when it comes to Spector’s DID.
Legion puts a lot of thought into its depiction of David’s relationship with his mental illness, though, with one fan arguing the whole show is a metaphor for it.
Others have faith that Moon Knight will be able to measure up, singling out the involvement of horror directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead as part of the creative team.
Legion can be streamed on Hulu in the U.S. Moon Knight premieres March 30 on Disney Plus.
