Moon Knight is winning people over, and the new promo highlights some of the positive reviews it’s been getting. The first episode premiered March 30 on Disney Plus, and it has quickly become Marvel Studios’ latest sensation.
The promo starts with the show’s conceit that Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac) can’t tell the difference between his waking life and dreams – hinting at the combination of his DID and mystical occurrences. The screen then fills up with a myriad of publications that have reviewed the show. Isaac’s performance is praised, as is the addictive quality of the show, and it’s referred to as everyone’s new obsession. It’s also called “shocking” and “surreal,” and ends with the statement “Best Marvel series ever.”
The series is off to a strong start with a certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, including high praise from our own reviewer David James, and an overall positive reception from fans. The story has taken risks with Moon Knight not having been established in previous MCU projects. Wandavision. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki all had the benefit of movie appearances throughout the years, but Moon Knight is an outsider in that regard.
The premise of the story also makes things more complex. Steven Grant is a gift shop employee with dissociative identity disorder and switches back and forth between his identity and the skillful assassin Marc Spector. Audiences have to have their eyes wide open because what Steven experiences might be a skewed interpretation of what’s really happening.
Having the benefit of not tying into the MCU might have also worked in its favor. Marvel movies are often accused of being springboards for other Marvel projects, but Moon Knight is pretty much a self-contained story, existing in the world of the other heroes but very much isolated. The A-list appeal of Isaac undoubtedly helps as well. The actor stars in some of the biggest films, from the Star Wars sequel trilogy to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, which gave him the leverage to play Moon Knight how he wanted.
Catch the critically loved Moon Knight streaming on Disney Plus.
