The early critical reception to Moon Knight seems to indicate another hit for the MCU, but there are also a few reviews with some harsh words for Marvel boss Kevin Feige and star Oscar Isaac’s latest undertaking to bring Marc Spector to life on the small screen.
After months of anticipation and hype-fuelling promotion, Moon Knight is premiering in less than a day on Disney Plus, though it seems the MCU series hasn’t managed to impress critics all that much. While most reviews are leaning towards a generally positive take, several outlets like The Hollywood Reporter, TV Guide, and Rolling Stone are expressing mixed opinions.
Starting off with arguably the most congratulatory review, The Telegraph gave the show a perfect 5/5 stars, writing: “Moon Knight is both simple, and yet complicated entertainment. It works on many levels, and it’s right up there with Wandavision as Marvel’s most Marvellous TV show to date.”
Paste Magazine gave Moon Knight a 9.5 out of 10, noting that the series “perfectly blends multiple genres, with a unique mashup giving the series an eccentric vibe that audiences will love. With Moon Knight, Marvel has not only developed its next great superhero but created everyone’s new streaming obsession.”
Empire praised the series for its departure from the superhero formula with a 4 out of 5 stars review. “Fresh, funny, and occasionally batshit, Moon Knight is an MCU departure in both topic and tone, spicing the superhero formula with a cocktail of comedy-horror and a twist of old-school adventure.”
Rolling Stone was more critical of the new MCU show, giving it 3 out of 5 stars and saying that “there are many interesting aspects to Moon Knight, but neither the comic books nor this TV show named for him quite know what to do with them all.”
The Hollywood Reporter‘s assessment is where things really take a turn for the worse for Marc Spector’s solo outing. “Disappointingly, neither Steve nor Marc is presented as especially nuanced, rendering the contrast between them solely a product of Isaac’s interpretation instead of writing,” they wrote.
As of writing this, Moon Knight exhibits a score of 71 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 15 reviews and 79% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 33 ratings, so all’s not lost for the latest addition to the MCU ensemble.
