The tradition continues that each new episode of a Marvel Disney+ also includes a newly released Funko Pop. At the moment, Moon Knight is introducing a variety of new characters and offering a look at a new part of the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. The second episode was the grand introduction of Mr. Knight, a popular personality from the original comics. Luckily, Funko didn’t wait long to reveal a new Funko Pop inspired by his design.
Luckily, that’s not all as Ethan Hawke‘s Arthur Harrow also got his own Funko, as he stands proud with his iconic Ammut staff clutched in his hands. It’s surprising he didn’t get one until the second episode as he was prominently showcased in the first episode but we did get to learn more about the character in the latest episode.
The designs look great, especially Mr. Knight with all the details added to his costume. If you look closely, you can even see the elements included in his tie that made his design stand out a bit more from the clean white version we see in the comics. The addition of Mr. Knight has also been a great addition to the series. While there have been some discussions on the twist they added to the character, it still was great to see him on-screen and what the future may have in store for him moving forward.
While Steven Grant and Marc Spector grapple with the fact that they are two personalities living within the same body in Moon Knight, they have another presence to deal with. Often towering above them with a booming, rather demanding voice is F. Murray Abraham‘sKhonshu. While Episode 2 of the series gives only a very brief rundown of the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu is absolutely vital to Moon Knight’s character. Here, we give you a more in-depth look at Khonshu.
AvengersMoon Knight
In Egyptian mythology, Khonshu is revered as the nocturnal God of the Moon, God of Vengeance, and the Shepherd of the Lost. He was a protector of travelers in the night. The nitty-gritty of Khonshu and other Egyptian gods in the comics is that these gods are members of the Heliopolitan race of gods who live in the Othervoid, an extradimensional realm adjacent to Earth and worshipped by the people of Ancient Egypt. Moon Knight has adopted a more modern take on the appearance of the character, specifically opting for the bird-like skull head that appears in many recent adaptations.
Moon KnightMarvel Studios’ Moon Knight
Because Khonshu, and the other gods, are unable to be physically present on Earth, they choose human avatars to carry out their will on Earth. For Khonshu, his chosen avatar is called the Moon Knight. As we know, Khonshu chose Marc Spector to be his avatar after Spector died and was revived under a statue of Khonshu.
For Marc Spector and his alters, being the “Fist of Khonshu” originally looked like standard vigilante work, and it still does generally. But lately, there is more emphasis on the protection of nighttime travelers. Khonshu often appears to Marc, but there are times when it is suggested that he may be a figment of Marc’s imagination. Khonshu often appears as himself, but Spector has seen him in many forms including the form of a faceless Bushman after Moon Knight tore the face off of the villain. Khonshu early on was more professional, and sort of seemed like a more traditional authoritative presence. But he has certainly developed a personality, whether as the actual god or as Spector’s mental projection.
So far in Moon Knight, Khonshu has been a bit rude, short, and “snotty”. As you can tell from the series so far, he has no problem calling Steven Grant “the idiot” or flat-out insulting or criticizing anyone. He does not appear to exhibit patience or empathy when dealing with humans. Likewise, in the comics, nowadays you can indeed expect him to be quite rude and often demanding. Sometimes this takes more of a sadistic and manipulative form (such as the Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood run in which he tries to break Spector’s mind completely), and in others, he is sarcastic, vulgar, and absurd (the page from Moon Knight #15(2006) below should say a lot).
Moon Knight #15 (2006)
Khonshu has a colorful, long, and detailed history in the comics, some unrelated to Marc Spector. For example, around 1,000,000 B.C., Khonshu was upset that he was not offered membership to the Stone Age Avengers. He chose his first Moon Knight in part to antagonize those Avengers on his behalf. Khonshu has taken over Spector’s physical body during Moon Knight’s time with the West Coast Avengers, and he revived Spector once again during the events of Marc Spector: Moon Knight (1989). In Jason Aaron’s recent arc, Avengers: The Age of Khonshu, Khonshu uses Moon Knight to defeat several Avengers in an attempt at taking over the world for the supposed purpose of protecting it.
Avengers
Whether Khonshu remains as a more passive companion throughout Moon Knight is yet to be seen. It is likely that we will not see too much Khonshu-specific storytelling in this series that focuses on Steven Grant and Marc Spector’s dissociative identity disorder and introduces Moon Knight as a concept. It is interesting that neither Marc Spector nor Khonshu have been truly explained in detail yet, and “Moon Knight” as a name has not yet been used. Still, Khonshu is likely to remain around as an integral part of Moon Knight.
As production on Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Ironheart draws near, the cast continues to grow. Hollywood newcomer Harper Anthony, a 9-year old who has appeared in Vulture City and Chicago Med, has signed on for an undisclosed role in the show.
Ironheart will carry on the story of Riri Williams, a genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man. Williams will be introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where one of her inventions ultimately brings Wakanda into conflict with a hidden civilization led by Namor. Chinaka Hodge will serve as head writer on the series, which is set to be produced by Hodge, Sev Ohania and Zinzi Coogler.
Anthony joins star Dominique Thorne and Anthony Ramos in the upcoming series. Thorne’s character is said to be inspired by the late Tony Stark to become an adventurer, crime fighter and humanitarian.
Ethan Hawke’s Arthur Harrow is a mysterious villain in Moon Knight. This is partly due to the fact that the show’s creators stated that they opted to invent an original villain rather than use a classic antagonist from the comics. Still, Hawke’s Harrow undeniably shares strong similarities with several villains seen in more recent Moon Knight comics. While this could simply reveal where the series’ writers got their inspiration for the character, it might also provide clues as to what could be revealed about Harrow as the series progresses.
Sun King
There was plenty of speculation that Hawke would be playing a version of Patient 86, also referred to as the Sun King. While being treated for bipolar disorder at Ravencroft Institute, a doctor introduced him to Egyptian mythology because she recognized similarities between Patient 86 and Marc Spector/Moon Knight, and she thought it might help him. He became obsessed with the Sun King Amon Ra and seemed to gain flame powers while institutionalized. He sought to destroy Moon Knight because of the contentious relationship between the two Egyptian gods they represented. The “Sun King” became a cult leader on a small island with a significant following.
Obviously, we know Hawke’s Harrow is quite the cult leader himself, as he’s seen seemingly leading a community of followers in the name of an Egyptian god. He also revealed he was the previous Fist of Khonshu, so he may have a specific or obsessive grudge against Marc Spector that hasn’t been fully explored. Speaking of, this brings us to the next inspiration from the comics.
Other Fists of Khonshu
There are times throughout Moon Knight’s history that Khonshu choosing other avatars comes into play. So far in Moon Knight, we know that Khonshu is interested in Layla as his next avatar. More importantly, though, we know that Harrow was a past Fist of Khonshu. A couple of somewhat similar situations have arisen recently in Moon Knight comics. Both instances involved the other “fist,” or wannabe’s fist, having a much different idea of Khonshu’s will or vengeance.
First, while it was ultimately a front, a psychologist Marc employed convinced Khonshu to allow her to be his avatar. Her cover story, at least, was that she and her family were victims of a genocidal war, and she sought the assassination of the General who was now leading the country. The main themes associated with this psychologist were that killing the General could prevent future deaths and that Marc Spector was too weak to do the type of preventative “justice” she imagined was required of a Moon Knight.
Hawke’s Harrow is completely set on preventative justice–his dedication to Ammit centers around ending evil before it can be committed. While the psychologist from the comics ultimately ended up being someone else, perhaps Moon Knight’s Harrow has a surprise reveal down the line that demonstrates his true intentions unrelated to Ammut.
‘Moon Knight’
In the current comics run of Moon Knight, another purported Fist of Khonshu emerged. Yet another doctor, went by the name of Hunter’s Moon and claimed to be the second “fist” (after all, people have two hands). Whether he actually was or not, he also called into question whether Spector was adequately carrying out Khonshu’s will. Hawke’s Harrow is slightly different, though, because he believes Khonshu’s approach the justice is simply wrong. But he does question Moon Knight’s values and likely seeks to turn him to his side. Still, Hunter’s Moon is so recent in the comics that it is highly unlikely the series had him in mind when writing Moon Knight.
Dr. Arthur Harrow and His Possible Connection to Another Major Villain
This one is a bit more of a stretch, but it could explain why Moon Knight decided to name its original villain after Dr. Arthur Harrow, a comics character that appeared in a single issue of a Moon Knight comic in 1985. Dr. Harrow was a scientist who used techniques from Auschwitz to research pain theory in horrific, illegal ways. A future Moon Knight villain, Ernst, is a Nazi, torturer, and serial killer that posed as a member of Marc Spector’s childhood Jewish community. Spector’s escape from Ernst is credited as a major event in terms of the development of his dissociative identity disorder. The connection between Dr. Arthur Harrow and Ernst could be their shared affinity for pain. Ernst later led the Société des Sadiques, a group that celebrates sadism and pain. For his part, Hawke’s Harrow does open the series by putting broken glass in his shoes to cause himself pain at all times.
Like many Marvel characters, Moon Knight has gone through quite a few iterations of costumes in his comic runtime. So, we were all curious how they’d tackle it in the Disney+ series. Luckily once we got our first look, we saw a classic suit combined with elements from Egyptian mythology and the bandages from mummies. Ahead of the second episode’s premiere, showrunner Jeremy Slater revealed that their main inspiration for the design was Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, and Jim Krueger‘s Universe X design, which saw the character wrapped in bandages.
And one of those pieces of artwork was this UNIVERSE X version of Moon Knight, created by Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite and Jim Krueger.
We’ve heard in the past that the writer’s rooms for the comic adaptations would include ideas and concepts, as they develop the series. Adding in the comic-inspired designs certainly aids in the development process, and it’s great to see the producers lend a supporting hand to bring these iconic comics to life. Director Mohamed Diab revealed how they took the iconic design of Mr. Knight and how they gave it their twist. The decision to make it supernatural was also something that Kevin Feige seemed to love and gave them more freedom to approach it.
We’re seeing these adaptations embrace their comic roots but combine the varied history to create something unique. While Disney+’s Moon Knight takes iconic images from the original, it feels like a unique take on the original franchise. Especially the designs are embracing different elements, as even Mr. Knight includes new details. Instead of a pure white suit, they added a special kind of material and designs to invoke the character’s Egyptian history. There’s a lot of attention to detail at work here, which just adds to the love and care put into this new branch of the MCU.
If you are avoiding spoilers for Moon Knight, only continue at your own risk as the director reveals a detail from an upcoming episode.
Director Mohammed Diab sat down with Collider to talk about the upcoming Moon Knight series. He highlights a lot of things about how they had the least reshoots and the freedom that was given to the creative team to make a project that stands out from the rest. In it, he also discussed their approach by introducing Mr. Knight in the series.
In it, he reveals that Mr. Knight is the design used by Steven Grant, the personality we are initially introduced to in Moon Knight‘s first episode. So, he is no longer a unique personality but rather the costume that he wears when Grant is the one that summons Khonshu’s ability.
Ironically, we started with Steven having Moon Knight and Marc having Mr. Knight, ironically, but that’s one of the best thing about taking your time and developing things. You start realizing no, no, no, this costume is for this guy. This is what works for them. And we realize what’s the logic.
Mohamed Diab
He did highlight that they wanted to make the outfit stick out with the many details it includes. Diab also teased that he summons a suit due to being removed from wherever the original design came from and also has no real connection to “superheroing.” So, it made sense that he’d have a very different costume when forced to summon it. The director did highlight that he was nervous adapting a pure white suit like that due to the difficulties of making it look good on camera.
And on the other hand, as a director, I was scared a lot more from Mr. Knight’s suit because a white suit like that could look so bad on camera. And it could be silly and it could be weird. But ironically, the moment Oscar stepped in, we felt… it’s very cool. And we actually try to think of moments that we can expand it even more.
Mohamed Diab
When the design was first revealed, it certainly had a lot of Moon Knight fans excited. So, its inclusion is definitely a plus, and the fact we get some of the most detailed costume designs in the MCU is a great bonus. It’ll be interesting to see what expansion he is teasing and just how much we get to see him in this costume throughout the series.
We’ve long discussed when we might expect the various Disney+ series from Marvel Studios to find their way to the service. We were all caught by surprise when Ms. Marvel‘s summer release turned into an early June premiere. We’ve been also waiting for a sign when we might expect She-Hulk, but it seems that it won’t be that much longerbefore it releases.
According to the site Chippu, the Tatiana Maslany-led project is eyeing a release in August. They do highlight that it could still get changed, but that seems to be their initial release plan. That’s not all as they also hint that we can expect episodes focus on Damage Control and even Wong trying to sue another wizard. They don’t share any details but if this rumor turns out true, we might expect some really out-there episodes from the MCU.
The concept always was intriguing, especially with her being a lawyer specializing in supernatural and superheroic cases. We also got a tease that she’ll have the ability to break the fourth wall. So, we might be in for a very different kind of series from Marvel Studios and Disney+. If they really do go for an August release, it’ll be interesting to see if that means they’ll end out the year with the confirmed What If…? Season 2. There’s also the hint that I Am Groot will release some time this year and we have two-Holiday specials on the horizon. So, it’s going to be a big year for Marvel Studios.
As someone who has never read the Moon Knight comics, I found the first episode to be puzzling. For people who are familiar with the comics, the character’s history of multiple personalities is something they bring into the show with them; I was finding out about his personalities as I was watching the show, and they didn’t always make it very clear about what is going on. By the time the episode was over. I was still confused as to which character is which, but the scene of Moon Knight standing over the jackal had me looking forward to more.
As puzzling as Steven Grant The Gift Shop Worker’s story is, Arthur Harrow’s story is very clear. He makes it very clear that he wants to free Ammut, the Egyptian goddess of the underworld, from imprisonment. Harrow’s desire has brought him into conflict with Grant, who happens to have a scarab that will help Arthur achieve his goal. Grant, as it turns out, serves as the avatar of another Egyptian god, Khonshu. As the episode draws to a close, Steven finds out that he is sharing a body with Mark, who seems pretty familiar with Khonshu. Mark convinces Steven to let him take control and then becomes Moon Knight, The Fist Of Khonshu.
It wasn’t until the bathroom scene that I really understood what had been happening through the course of the episode. I finally understood that when Steven would have his blackouts, Mark was coming out and helping him at dangerous times. Moving forward, it’s clear that Steven shares his consciousness with at least one other person, who seems to know a whole lot more about Harrow and this scarab.
Arlyn’s Assumptions
In this next episode I think that Steven is going to have to figure out what is happening and he is going to form a relationship with Mark. There is one other person he is going to have to come to know: Layla. Steven and Mark will have to become better friends in this episode in order to figure out just what’s up with Khonshu and how they can stop Harrow.
Moon Knight finally premiered and early data hinted at it potentially being one of the service’s strongest releases. SambaTV remains our best comparison point to get a glimpse into how exactly the Disney+ series are performing. Disney won#t release the data themselves. So, we’re dependent on external analytic firms to offer a glimpse behind the curtain. Their latest release reveals just how popular Moon Knight was within its first five days of streaming.
According to SambaTV, the premiere managed to reach 1.8M US households within the first five days. As a point of comparison, it is the same amount of viewers that The Falcon and the WinterSoldier‘s premiere episode. Currently, it has managed to surpass WandaVision and Hawkeye, which is in line with what we saw earlier with its trailer viewership. So, the early predictions were pretty on point.
Loki remains the reigning champion for Marvel’s TV venture with 2.5M according to SambaTV’s household panels. We just recently learned that it alongside The Mandalorian remains the best performing series on Disney+. Moon Knight can definitely be seen as a success for Marvel though, especially with the possibility of its mind-bending aspects pulling in new viewers as it goes on.
The numbers aren’t the full picture, as there’s always the possibility that they look quite a bit different on Marvel and Disney’s side. Still, these numbers are impressive if you consider how unknown Moon Knight is to the general populous and it’s competition with well-established characters is a good sign for Marvel Studios’ venture on expanding through Disney+. Ms. Marvel is going to be an interesting test to see just how powerful this brand is.
Those looking for an MCU installment that is geared to younger or more wholesome audiences are in luck. Disney+ revealed that the next MCU series, Ms. Marvel, will be rated TV-PG, making it the first time that any Marvel Studios movie or series has received a rating this low. All MCU movies to date have been rated PG-13, and every Disney+ MCU series to date has been rated TV-14, which is the television equivalent of a PG-13 rating.
Ms. Marvel recently unveiled its first trailer and set up a story focused on Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan. It is perhaps not too surprising that a series about a teenage girl set in a high school-type setting would be the first series to nab a PG rating, though the MCU has dealt with similar ages and setting in its Tom Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy.
The battle over the streaming service’s ability to provide a family-friendly service while also showcasing its incredibly successful range of more mature properties will surely rage on. Recently, some fans spotted shots in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that had been edited to be less violent, but Disney+ quickly retracted the altered scenes. At the very least, it does not look like Ms. Marvel will pose much of a challenge for the streaming service on that front.
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