Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is almost upon us. You can read our spoiler-free review here. The 28th Marvel Studios feature film will be the latest—and likely biggest—leap into the multiversal lore of Phase Four. The movie promises to be a bold and wild Sam Raimi-directed adventure that sees our titular character, with company from major characters like the Scarlet Witch and America Chavez, travel through the multiverse to prevent a great evil that threatens it.
Interestingly, Waldron recently told Digital Spy that he has some regrets about how rigidly he defined some of the “rules” of the multiverse in Loki due to its potential effects on future multiverse projects:
We worked pretty hard on Loki to make it as airtight as possible. But there were times when I was like, ‘Oh, shit, I wish I hadn’t have defined that so clearly. I don’t know why I had to be so specific in my time-travel television show about the rules of the multiverse.
Michael Waldron
Even though there may be some challenges in keeping multiversal mechanics consistent in the MCU as a whole going forward, Waldron still believes that his work on Loki greatly benefitted the writing process of Multiverse of Madness. He stated:
But, I was glad that I came in with institutional knowledge of the multiverse and was able to get the creative team of DoctorStrange on the same page as me on everything. Because like with Loki, that’s the most important thing when you’re dealing with this…You have to all have a shared language of all this stuff, otherwise it can get pretty confusing.
Michael Waldron
If Loki limited some of the creative direction of Multiverse of Madness with respect to the physics and understandings of the multiverse, it seems as though it still ultimately enabled the sequel to have a coherent and consistent tone with the MCU. A “shared language” about the multiverse will undoubtedly come in handy to both filmmakers and audiences going forward.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases in theaters on May 6, 2022.
Over the course of its six-episode run, Moon Knight certainly turned heads at least a few times during its tenure. Some of Marvel Studios’ best television came through in the series, and Oscar Isaac left more than a lasting impression on the MCU with his performance. In a story with a near-infinite room to explore Ancient Egyptian gods and their relationships with humans, the Disney+ show ultimately proved that it can tell a phenomenal Marc Spector story. Moon Knight? Not so much—there is no joy in admitting that the Moon Knight finale failed to stick the landing and generally was an injustice to the aspects that the series that, up until this episode, were leading it to potentially be the best Marvel Studios series. This final episode likely takes the series out of that conversation.
The simplest way of describing what ended up being disappointing about the finale is bland. On one hand, every step of every character in this episode was met with zero resistance. All of the forgettable Arthur Harrow- or Ammit-related moves were too easy and predictable. Even the few positive moments were simply given the green light with no questions asked.
Where the big psychological twist of the series came in so beautifully for the character-based aspect of Moon Knight, the hard plot really could have benefitted from something similar. Where the series had raised mystery and intrigue, it revealed that there was nothing special behind it. With Harrow, the mildly interesting villain had no other goal than to simply take over the world, and having that be the hook, line, and sinker for the big ending felt as generic as it gets. Forcing through Harrow’s and Ammit’s world domination plan felt like the equivalent of a B-movie plot, and it lacked any genuine impact or even threat of impact.
In a realm where so much is possible, and where so much rich creativity has been presented, the series ultimately hung its hat on perhaps the most generic incantation of new gods and those fighting for them. So much more could have been toyed with in a way that would have fit well with the intricacy of the character-based elements, but ultimately those get drowned out in a sea of uninspiring CGI and conflict with practically zero nuance. Even giant silhouettes of Egyptian gods fighting over Cairo could not make up for how the actual conflict did not rise to any occasion.
Similarly, Khonshu remained a relatively minor character by the end of the finale. While the post-credits scene hints at more, the god often—and ultimately—felt like an excuse for Marc and Steven’s involvement in the overarching plot rather than a meaningful or genuine inclusion. There are countless ways that Khonshu’s personality and deception could have played into the series’ story.
The psychological exploration of Marc and Steven was the highlight of Moon Knight by far. It was so incredibly well-done that it almost made it more difficult for the series to have a grand ending on a more physical plot. Still, the residue of that character development is what kept the finale afloat. The tender moment between Marc and Steven in the Duat was one of the most emotional, and Oscar Isaac’s fantastic final execution of playing both roles with rapid switching was sincerely the most exciting part of the finale. The best parts of the action-heavy episode came when Moon Knight and Mr. Knight teamed up. Even with a finale that did not cement the series as all-in-all outstanding, nothing can take away from Moon Knight’scharacter masterpiece.
Another positive element to come out of the finale was Layla’s development into being an avatar of her own. This was perhaps the most unpredictable moment, yet her possible relationship with Khonshu was teased from the beginning. Still, she ultimately—easily—became Tawaret’s avatar in order to fight against Harrow and his disciples. Her superhero moments were the best superhero moments of the entire series. While Layla requested that she be a “temporary avatar”, this character is very much MCU-unique, so her status could have substantial ramifications down the line.
Lastly, Moon Knight finally introduced Jake Lockley, Marc’s third personality. After being the subject of much speculation over the course of the series, the character ends up being almost exclusively a post-credits tease. That is not too surprising, and it did have some positive impact on the ending of the series. We meet Jake right after Marc and Steven seem to be free from Khonshu and are living their normal lives together with two goldfish. But of course, Khonshu is still using Marc’s body as his avatar. This time, Jake Lockley seems to be taking on the “Moon Knight” mantle on his own.
Where the episode fumbles on this tease is that the series hinted at Jake being hyperviolent alter but never actually showed it. He had such a moment, in the end, to show that side of himself, to live up to Moon Knight’s violent expectations, and leave a strong lasting impression on viewers going forward. Instead, he simply shot at Harrow from the front seat of the comics-inspired SPKTR limo. It may have been a bit more intriguing if the audience got some sort of grasp of his personality as it differs from Marc and Steven.
Moon Knight will always be a memorable show. The character-based aspects and Isaac’s performance should go down as some of the greatest in the MCU. Nothing in the series finale takes away from those accomplishments, but the generally bland and generic ending does drown out some of it as the show came to an end. Ultimately, the wonderful twist and mind-bending energy that came with the psychological aspect of the show simply did not bleed into the main plot, and it was worse for it.
Moon Knight has been a show that stands on its own two feet even among the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Episode 4 started a new direction for the series, as what looks like a globe-trotting adventure may have actually been in the Marc Spector’s mind all along. The next episode did return to the usual adventure, as he and his alter Steven Grant took a path down memory lane and were faced with a new challenge, as Ammit unleashes her chaos upon the world. Intersected during those segments, we return to Marc being confronted by a psychiatrist version of Arthur Harrow. As we go into the finale, the trailers are teasing something familiar for Marvel fans, but I have a different hope going in.
I adored the direction set by the fourth episode, as it played with our minds and created the illusion that everything that has happened was just within Marc’s mind. The series has been mostly disconnected from the rest of the MCU and embraced the iconic run by Lemire and Smallwood. It sadly is still a more restrained version of that story, but that’s not uncommon within adaptation. As Marc has found some kind of “peace” at the end of the last episode, I have one quandary going into the finale. I want it to keep playing with our heads.
Even as he continues his journey to regain his powers as the Moon Knight and Khonshu to fight Harrow. We get a bombastic fight, as teased in the latest teasers with Harrow using the powers of Ammit. But, in reality, we continue to splice his discussion with the psychiatrist as we further unravel his mind. Suddenly, he has a revelation and just takes in the reality that he is, inf act, a superhero and has to take down the next great evil. We suddenly return to those moments of the power struggle as Moon Knight falls back into the territory set up earlier in the season.
He saves the day. Moon Knight is reunited with Layla and Khonshu. Everything is back to where it should be. Yet, something seems off about it all. The ending is almost too perfect, as every piece of the puzzle has fallen together as it should. Suddenly, the rug is pulled from under him and reality is changed once again. The series ends on a note that perhaps there’s still more to this story to be told, as it continues to keep its focus primarily on his mental issues and the challenges of living with DID.
Of course, the series may take a safe route, but the thought of even the final playing with our expectations would be the perfect way to leave us off with the character. Perhaps everything that happened in the finale is actually part of a movie set, similar to Grant’s role in the Lemire and Smallwood run. We switch between these realities, making it harder to put together what is and isn’t real.
If you’re wondering what that means for the character’s future in the MCU, it gives us the perfect opportunity for a character that keeps us on our toes. While we may see the return of Moon Knight, there’s enough vagueness to never truly give away what exactly happened. He can still be a character that is unhinged and hard to truly pinpoint given his DID. I personally would love a second season to build upon the insanity and leave us with any questions, but if this remains as a limited series, they could still keep us guessing.
Reality is a fragile thing, and who knows what the future has in store for the character, which technically is probably making the limited episode count a bit frustrating. Still, there’s so much potential here to expand upon and use that vagueness to play with our perception. A sequel season could even play around with the Marvel Cinematic Universe as such without having to directly connect to the rest. It would be a shame to fall into some familiar territory, but even so, it wouldn’t go against what the series set up. Given it may be a limited run, it sadly does also limit its potential in some ways.
Marvel Studios has quite the week and weekend planned for fans, with both the premiere of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the finale of Moon Knight dropping within days of each other. Despite naturally needing to compete for attention from the highly-anticipated Doctor Strangesequel, Moon Knight has made a name for itself and fans are eagerly awaiting what the finale of the series has in store.
The Disney+ series’ finale remains mysterious, but the show’s focus on the character dynamics between Marc Spector and Steven Grant is likely to continue to be showcased. Oscar Isaac so far has been praised for his performance of the two characters, connected by Marc Spector’s dissociative identity disorder. In a recent interview with Collider, Isaac opened up even more about how he tackled the role. Interestingly, he described his take on Steven as being on the autism spectrum, something not acknowledged with respect to any other character in the MCU:
You know, I saw him as a bit on the spectrum. I actually loved watching Love on the Spectrum. That was like one of my favorite things to look at, because I just found it so moving and touching because it’s people that… All the same feelings we have in those situations, but they just haven’t developed all the masks to hide it all. So there was cues that I took from that. I imagined him as quite tall but wanting to feel smaller when he walks through rooms and things, and just played with the physicality and then just a very open face, which reminded me of my clown days back at school, where you play with the red nose and the way that it opens up your face, and then doing the opposite of that with Marc, making him, although much more present, like a marble in the middle of a room, but also tighter in the face and closed off. Lots of defenses up.
Oscar Isaac
For one, the significance of representing autism–even if not explicitly recognized in the series–is another example of how Marvel Studios is starting to open the door to a wider range of underrepresented groups in the universe. While this may have been more of a creative choice on Isaac’s part, the showrunners undoubtedly gave him that creative freedom. Obviously, in general, this allowed for a stunning performance by Isaac, and it crafted rich and well-developed characters to explore. It seems like a reason to be optimistic about creative freedom given to talent going forward in the MCU, which is a topic in many fans’ minds. In an event, it is another look at fan-favorite Steven Grant’s personality and how detail-oriented Isaac was in his performances.
The first five episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.
Sequels aren’t always a sure thing. For every The Empire Strikes Back, there’s a Speed 2. Sequels to superhero films have the benefit of a little more freedom in telling a good story as they are no longer shackled by the weight of the “origin”, but they don’t always hit the mark either. In 2004, Sam Raimi delivered what many consider to be the best superhero sequel of all time in Spider-Man 2. It featured a flawed protagonist and a sympathetic villain; it featured what were, at the time, some of the most well-shot action scenes of any film in the genre. Not just that, but it also featured a story that stirred emotions across the spectrum. In 2022, Raimi has done it again.
The path to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was about as chaotic as Stephen Strange’s trip through the multiverse in the first act of the film. Scott Derrickson, who helmed 2016’s Doctor Strange was set to be back in the director’s chair, but in January of 2020, Derrickson dropped out of the film when it became clear he and Marvel Studios had two entirely different films in mind. A month or so later, Marvel Studios began putting together a new creative team made up of Michael Waldron, whose work on Loki thrilled the folks at Marvel, and Raimi, who had been out of the superhero game since 2007’s Spider-Man 3. COVID delayed the start of filming and then the film underwent significant additional photography. Perhaps no Marvel Studios film caused more preemptive hand-wringing than this film did, but the end product makes it clear that Waldron, Raimi, and the rest of the team were truly taking their time to deliver the best possible version of this film and that’s exactly what they did.
Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
The film opens up in media res and introduces the audience to a Variant Doctor Strange who is protecting Marvel’s newest young hero, America Chavez, from a pretty terrifying demon. Amid a brutal assault on Defender Strange, we learn that this demon is in pursuit of Chavez because it wants her powers, which allow her to travel the multiverse. Chavez and Defender Strange are not only trying to evade the demon but also get their hands on the film’s big MacGuffin, the Book of the Vishanti. When things get ugly, so does Defender Strange, setting the stage for one of the film’s running themes: that no matter what universe we’re in, Stephen Strange is a danger and can’t be trusted. Using a star-shaped multiversal portal, Chavez escapes and finds her way to the MCU’s Prime universe and is under attack once more. After battling the beast, Strange and Wong realize that the source of its power is different from theirs and decided to seek out a magic-user with a similar set of powers: Wanda Maximoff.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the first MCU film that has the Disney Plus series as “required viewing”, especially when it comes to Wanda. While fans could have skipped WandaVision and figured things out as they go along, having been along for the ride is helpful. It’s here, with Wanda, that Marvel makes one of their boldest choices to date: having one of their core Avengers turn heel, just as she did in the comics. Following a brief conversation with Strange, Wanda reveals that she is after Chavez’s powers in order to find a way to reunite with her sons. A conversation between Strange and Wanda leads to a confrontation in which the Scarlet Witch unleashes a shockingly brutal attack on Kamar-Taj, which rounds out the first act of the film, sending Strange and Chavez on their trip through the multiverse.
Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Fans may never know what Derrickson‘s film would turn out to be, but Marvel Studios should be damn glad that Raimi wanted to make this version. From beginning to end, this is a Sam Raimi film. Sure, he’s telling a story within the confines of Marvel Studios’ shared universe, but he’s telling it in classic Raimi fashion and appearing to have a whole lot of fun in doing so. Multiverse of Madness looks like a Raimi film; it delivers his signature (and surprisingly violent) horror; it delivers, most importantly, the most complete and emotionally stirring story of Phase 4. After a decade-plus away, Raimi showed that he understands now, maybe more than ever, that a good superhero story has to have a heart, especially when someone is trying to rip it out.
Lizzie Olsen’s Scarlet Witch holds nothing back as she attempts to do just that. Much as with Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2, Wanda’s turn as a villain works so well because the audience wants what she wants: for her to have her kids back. Corrupted by the Darkhold, however, the lengths to which Wanda is willing to go to get them back allowed for some of Marvel Studios’ most innovative and interesting action scenes to date where Raimi and crew got to have a whole lot of fun devising fascinating ways to show magic being used on screen. Olsen’s performance continues to demonstrate her total command of the character. It’s the subtle head tilt here, the smirk there, and the changing tones of her voice that come across as truly terrifying.
Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Opposite Olsen and in her way is Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange. Cumberbatch is given much to do here, playing multiple versions of his character, and puts together easily his best turn as the character so far. Following the 2016 origin film, the character hasn’t had much room to grow. Here, Strange’s path through the multiverse, where he learns the stories of other Stranges, forces the hero to look inward, providing the growth necessary to propel the character forward into whatever story he’s placed into on Marvel Studios’ shared tapestry.
As strong as its lead performances are, the film is enhanced by the knockout performances of Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, and Xochitl Gomez. McAdams is particularly surprising in her return as Christine Palmer, who has much more to do here than one might have expected, including some of the film’s strongest statements about Stephen Strange. It’s the moments like these that Palmer, Wong, and Chavez spend with Strange that build an emotional currency within the audience and a master like Raimi knows just how to spend it. This is a huge film that makes big moves within the MCU, but Raimi manages to balance that with a series of small exchanges between characters that resonate because both the audience and Strange know he is flawed.
Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
For the MCU to continue to thrive, the aforementioned big moves need to continue to be made. In that sense, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seems to be to the MCU what Captain America: The Winter Soldier was in 2014. Not only does this film feel as different from its predecessor as Winter Soldier did from First Avenger, but it also comes out swinging with an almost merciless 20-minute deluge of information that’ll be sure to have fans wanting to head right back in for a second showing and heading to Wikipedia after that. If you thought Marvel Studios gave it all away when they teased the Illuminati in a TV spot, you’re sorely mistaken. This film is a game-changer and the most direct setup for the MCU’s next big event film.
In the end, it all comes back to the magic touch of Waldron and Raimi. They delivered on characters, story, and action to make the most complete film of Phase 4 and maybe one of Marvel Studios’ most complete films to date. Fans of Raimi‘s work will have plenty to smile about as well, with a few references sprinkled in and the obvious influence of Raimi on some of the creature and character designs. Against all odds, he came into a project that seemed to be held together by a thread and by capturing that old magic formula, made one of the best superhero sequels of all time.
This week, for the penultimate Episode 5, we compare and contrast how Moon Knight’s most iconic moment was portrayed in the series and the comics. Specifically, we look at the scene where Marc Spector becomes Khonshu’s avatar and dive into the details of the show and three major Moon Knight comics run—the original 1980 run, the Lemire/Smallwood run, and the ongoing MacKay/Cappuccio run.
Moon Knight #14 (2017)
All iterations of the classic Moon Knight scene are incredibly similar. It is the type of moment that is so attached to the hero that it somewhat defines him. As we see in Moon Knight, Marc is mortally wounded during a tomb raid. His mercenary partner Bushman killed a team of archaeologists outside of a tomb, including Layla’s father. Marc crawls into the tomb and prepares to take his own life, but he is stopped by a voice that seems to come from the statute of Khonshu that he is underneath. Khonshu tells Marc it would be a waste for him to die, that Marc has a fractured and broken mind, and that the god believes he would be a worthy candidate to be his avatar. Our protagonist agrees, and Khonshu saves his life. The last thing we see is Marc summoning the Moon Knight suit.
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 5
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 5
There are many aspects that are entirely consistent across the live-action series and the comics. For one, all versions begin with Marc being a part of a tomb raid with Bushman, and the villain ultimately wounds Marc. It is also integral to every Moon Knight story that he is physically under Khonshu’s statue at the time he becomes his avatar.
Moon Knight #1 (1980)
Moon Knight #14 (2017)
Moon Knight #1 (2021)
It is unclear why he dragged himself into the tomb in the show. While the current MacKay/Cappuccio does not go into it, the way Spector winds up in the tomb itself varies slightly. The series seems to have taken more from the Lemire/Smallwood in terms of Marc literally dragging himself into it. In that comics run, he is apparently lured by Khonshu’s voice. In the original run, he roams the desert before eventually being taken into the tomb by Marlene and some survivors of the raid.
Moon Knight #1 (1980)
Moon Knight #1 (1980)
Moon Knight #14 (2017)
Moon Knight #14 (2017)
Similarly, Moon Knight is more similar to the Lemire/Smallwood run in terms of Khonshu’s role. In the original, there is no dialogue that the reader sees between the two—Marc simply comes back to life after lying dead under the statue for a small amount of time. The Lemire/Smallwood run, however, features a very similar conversation to what we see in the series. This is the same run where Khonshu is trying to break Marc’s “weak” and fractured mind in order to use the human body for himself. He tells a dying Marc in both iterations about the gig of the Fist of Vengeance. As Steven tells Marc in Episode 5, it is clear that Khonshu is taking advantage of a soon-to-die mercenary with some substantial mental health issues.
One aspect that is present in all three comics versions of the scene is missing in the series. In the comics, Marc Spector the mercenary grows a conscience during the raid. In both the original and Lemire/Smallwood runs, he seems to have an ethical awakening after Bushman kills the head archaeologist, Marlene’s father. In the MacKay/Cappuccio run, the scene is brief like it is in the series, but Mr. Knight does specifically mention that he grew a conscience while on the job. In Moon Knight, we see the aftermath of the violent raid but we do not know whether or not Marc had a true “change of heart”. It makes sense that he would have, but it is not as explicit as it is in the comics.
Moon Knight #1 (1980)
Moon Knight #13 (2017)
Moon Knight #1 (2021)
Another interesting difference in the series is that no one else seemed to be present in the tomb at the time. In both the original and Lemire/Smallwood runs, his future love interest Marlene (and others) are present when he comes back to life. In the current MacKay/Cappuccio take, it is not mentioned, and the only visual we get is simply Marc’s dead body below the statue. Layla (who is a much-improved Marlene in the series) was unaware of the details of her father’s death and Marc’s involvement in it prior to Arthur Harrow telling her in Episode 4, so that seems to confirm she was not there in the tomb. It begs the question in Moon Knight: how did Marc and Layla meet?
Moon Knight #14 (2017)
Perhaps the most interesting difference is subtle but fundamental. In all comics iterations far and wide, Marc Spector is resurrected by Khonshu before becoming Moon Knight. In Episode 5, Marc does not die. Khonshu apparently heals him and keeps him from dying, but there is no resurrection. This could perhaps be an oversight brought about by the ease of dialogue between the two characters if Marc is alive throughout the conversation.
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 5
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 5
Still, the idea of resurrection is a major theme for Moon Knight in the comics, and so it could be a very intentional and meaningful decision. After the events of Episode 4, it looks like Marc Spector is in need of resurrection—he has had at least two (three according to the MacKay/Cappuccio run) in the comics, but they have always been major character-changing events. If Moon Knight decided that a resurrection during the series should be the character’s only one, there are strong themes connected to the hero’s “origin” that would certainly make such a moment in the series finale carry much more weight than any resurrection in a flashback.
The first five episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.
Marvel Studios’ latest television series, Moon Knight, has been notable for plenty of things including Oscar Isaac’s performance, the focus on a relatively obscure Marvel character, the exploration of complex mental health issues, and the wacky journey into supernatural realms not yet seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Another interesting aspect of the series is how distant it can be from its comics source material at times.
After the reference to Jean-Paul “Frenchie” Duchamp, multiple cameos from Bertrand Crawley, and Layla’s similarities to Marlene Alraune, a decent proportion of Marc Spector’s classic supporting characters have made some type of appearance in the live-action series. One of the biggest characters in Moon Knight’s history has been notably absent, but Episode 5 of Moon Knight dropped a quick reference to him.
‘Moon Knight’ (1980)
While Marc was revealing to Steven how he met Khonshu and became his avatar, they walked through the desert area where numerous people, including Layla’s archaeologist father, were killed. Marc explains to Steven that he was not responsible for the massacre and that his mercenary partner, Bushman, got greedy and killed the crowd. It is a single, quick reference, but it is the latest purposeful inclusion of Moon Knight’s classic characters.
In the comics, Bushman (or “the Bushman”) is easily Moon Knight’s greatest enemy, and the villain appears many times over the decades of comics. As Marc mentions in the episode, he worked with Bushman while a mercenary, and Bushman killed those people in a tomb raid before nearly killing Marc as well. The superhero’s origin story in the comics is almost identical with respect to Bushman’s role in those events. Since then, Bushman remained iconic in Moon Knight comics and was a major part of numerous different arcs.
Marc did not need to say “Bushman” in Episode 5. But, obviously, the writers of Moon Knight included it for a reason. In a story that has not relied on the comics, these references were probably placed throughout the live-action series for a couple of reasons. On one hand, they could be simple nods to Moon Knight’s history and nothing more. While fan service can be great (and may sometimes be the best route), there are reasons to believe that the superhero’s supporting characters are being saved for future stories.
A couple of references to the comics stand out, but Bushman in particular should pique people’s interest. As mentioned, Bushman is an absolutely integral character in the Moon Knight comics. The villain’s actions and presence have influenced the costumed vigilante time and time again. Bushman’s importance goes far beyond the hero’s early days. Moon Knight’s arguably most violent moment came decades after his origin and involved Bushman (he tore off his face), which led into a severe depressive episode for Marc that changed the character’s course as well as heightened the mental health element of his stories.
‘Moon Knight’ (2006)
The point is that Bushman has always been an obvious choice for a live-action Moon Knight adversary. If the superhero gets more time in the MCU, he remains a clear choice. If the series wanted to totally avoid the character and his impact, he did not need to be name-dropped. Similarly, the Crawley cameos in Moon Knight make his future appearance seem more likely—not only did he make a physical appearance, but he has appeared across multiple episodes.
Moon Knight may very well be saving some of these classic characters for future stories with Oscar Isaac’s hero. As was clear from Episode 5, the live-action series is not making too big of a deal of Marc’s original meeting with Khonshu where he agrees to be his avatar. The Disney+ show is likely setting up its finale to be, for all intents and purposes, the Moon Knight origin in the MCU.
If that is the case, the character moving forward may likely take on a more traditional superhero role. With that role, a solid supporting cast is bound to follow. The basic setup in the live-action series could be signaling that the iconic comics characters will be around in the long run. And who knows? The Moon Knight finale could prove quite informative about the future of Marc Spector’s, Steven Grant’s, and Jake Lockley’s classic entourage.
‘Moon Knight’ (2016)
The first five episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
MoonKnightEpisode 5 is arguably one of the best installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s television series. While answering a lot of questions about our protagonists and the nature of the show itself, it managed to feel incredibly unique from its companion episodes. Despite being a standout for the Oscar Isaac-led series, it had quite a few similarities to a popular episode of the first Phase Four installment, WandaVision.
If Episode 5 of Moon Knight reminded you of Episode 8 of WandaVision, you are not alone. Both penultimate episodes carried similar themes and structures that ultimately accomplished the same task: rewriting the origin stories of the MCU characters. This article explores the resemblances and differences between the two episodes to highlight Marvel Studios’ fresh technique in introducing or re-introducing heroes.
Marvel Studios’ ‘WandaVision’
No Flashbacks
While often referred to as the “flashback” episode, WandaVision Episode 8 does not actually feature any true flashbacks, and the same can be said for Moon Knight’s most recent installment. While there are numerous memories showcased in each, they are in the form of physical spaces that the main characters can, essentially, be a part of. In both episodes, the physical path to the memories was represented by doors–Agatha leads Wanda through a door in her basement, while Marc Spector and Steven Grant travel from room to room in the mentally-projected psych ward.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’
A slight difference is how the characters exist within these memory spaces. In Moon Knight, Marc and Steven could move around as separate entities from their past selves as highlighted by Steven desperately trying to save the young Marc and his brother from drowning. In WandaVision, however, Wanda generally relives the memories and takes on the form of her past self. For example, rather than watching herself go through the HYDRA experimentation with the mind stone, she inhabited that past body and lived through it once more. Even with that slight variation, the outcome is the same. The memories of the lead characters play out in what feels like real-time, and the fact that our heroes relive these dark moments makes it more potent for the audience.
Timing
Obviously, both of the episodes at hand were the penultimate installments of the series. Both Moon Knight and WandaVision took a break from their ongoing plots to spend virtually an entire episode in the past. Because they were immediately before the finales, they changed the momentum of the Phase Four entries and paved the way to conclusions that feel drastically different than their beginnings. The memories served to answer many questions that plagued the shows. In both, there existed a sort of “final” or “peak” memory that revealed the most fundamental concepts that had before been mysteries.
In WandaVision, we see the build-up and finally the actual moment that Wanda created Westview. Previously, the viewer did not know when Westview started, and the memory furthermore explained how the Scarlet Witch’s background and then-current grief combined to manifest as the series. While Moon Knight has not yet concluded, it is safe to say that the reveal that Marc is the original personality is a watershed moment for the show. It answered several questions surrounding the existence and relationship between him and Steven, which is the bedrock of the series.
Spotlight on Mental Health
Neither the MCU nor other comic book franchises are known for their deep character-level emotional explorations or dives into the sphere of mental health. But both Moon Knight Episode 5 and WandaVision Episode 8 put the spotlight on those themes. These two episodes spend a great deal more time on the mental health or emotional aspects of their lead characters than other series or films in the MCU. Because of that, they are noticeably different experiences than what the viewer is used to.
Marvel Studios’ ‘WandaVision’
Wanda’s depression, trauma, and grief were the underlying cause of Westview and all of the events of the series. While often media is satisfied in suggesting that, for example, a character is grieving deeply, the WandaVision penultimate episode genuinely and successfully elected to show it.
Similarly, Episode 5 of Moon Knight put the spotlight on Marc’s inner struggles. While deep trauma is unrooted like in WandaVision, the presence of and respect given to the character’s dissociative identity disorder leads the series to explore a much more concrete and narrow area of mental health. Still, Marc is developed as a well-rounded character with emotional and psychological turmoil beyond it.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’
New Origins
Marvel Studios’ ‘WandaVision’
While the emotional penultimate episodes certainly add fresh and enriching experiences to their respective series and the MCU at large, they both appear to do something interesting for their titular heroes. We know that WandaVision’s finale acted as a sort of renewed origin story for the Scarlet Witch in the cinematic universe. There, Wanda had been introduced as a character years before and her series served to re-establish the hero and her mantle. Moon Knight, in contrast, was introduced in the current series. While Moon Knight has less to rework, it is likely building up to establish the MCU’s own unique take on the character’s origin. His classic comics origin was very briefly shown in Episode 5, and it seems as though the show is eager to establish Moon Knight in a way unique from his history and expectations. The penultimate episode is almost certainly laying the foundations for the superhero’s true MCU-specific origin story to be fully revealed in the Moon Knight finale.
The first five episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+, while the entire series of WandaVision is currently available on the streamer.
As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness approaches, the secretive film has been dropping more and more information. Even with the rumored high-profile cameos on fans’ minds, one highly-anticipated character already known is Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez. The young hero’s ability to make portals to alternate universes will surely come in handy in the multiversal sequel.
Still, the character also marks major milestones for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as America’s Latinx and LGBTQ+ comics background will make its way into the live-action film. In the comics, her traditional origin story is that she used her dimension-hopping powers to travel from a universe known as the Utopian Parallel after her mothers gave their lives to save that universe. Multiverse of Madness has made headlines after some countries banned the film and others asked Disney to remove LGBTQ+ references from the film.
While we knew America’s mothers would be referenced, it looks like we now know that the two have been cast. According to One Take News, actresses Ruther Livier and Chess Lopez played the role of America’s mothers in the Doctor Strange sequel. While the scope of their roles is not yet known, it seems likely that they may be relatively small. Still, the fact that the roles have been filled does indicate that we will likely see a significant part of the young hero’s past.
Livier has appeared in 90210and has done a lot of voice work, particularly in video games such as Sly 3, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Dead Rising 3. Lopez seems to be relatively new to the entertainment scene, having appeared in a few short films.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness his theaters on May 6, 2022.
With only the finale remaining, Moon Knight feels like a completely different series now than it did when it first premiered. There are numerous outstanding questions going into the final episode, but among them is still whether Jake Lockley — Marc Spector’s third identity from the comics — will make an appearance. Episode 5 seemed to focus exclusively on Marc and Steven, and there were fewer obvious nods to another identity being present. But the episode still leaves the door wide open for Jake to appear.
Because Episode 5 is the last chance to speculate whether Jake will or will not actually show up in Moon Knight, here is a bit of a recap of the evidence we have so far. In Episode 1, there were several suspicious reflections where it looked like more than Marc was present, the inclusion of Crawley (a traditionally Jake-centered character), and some interesting imagery in the end credits that seemed to have a theme of three Oscar Isaacs. In Episode 2, reflections, comments from Layla and Harrow, and a violent Marc outburst were all notable. Episode 3 did all but confirm that a third personality took over when both Marc and Steven blacked out during a fight. And Episode 4 practically showed us Marc and Steven passing by Jake’s own sarcophagus. Now, let’s talk about Episode 5.
The Scales
One of the most significant components plot-wise of Episode 5 were the scales of justice that weighed Marc and Steven’s hearts against the feather of truth. To enter paradise, the scales had to balance. The episode used the fact that the hearts were not balancing as an excuse for Marc to lay out his past—including Steven’s origin as a personality. But most interesting was the fact that Taweret said that the hearts were “not full” and “incomplete.” Now, there is plenty of suggestion that they were incomplete because Marc had not revealed the truth to Steven, but it would also make a whole lot of sense if they were incomplete if there was a third heart/identity out there not on the scale.
However, all of that gets confused when the scales balance after Steven seemingly dies in the sand of the Egyptian underworld, Duat, and Marc is allowed into the Field of Reeds. It is not entirely clear if Steven’s apparent “death” is what actually caused the scales to balance. Essays could probably be written on different theories for this, but the incompleteness of Marc/Steven up until then seemed like a huge clue that the acknowledgment of a third identity could make them whole. While less certain by the end of the episode, I would not count it out.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’
Marc Spector’s Fugue State
As Marc and Steven travel through the psych ward that is Marc’s mind, Marc at one point casually drops the information that he was discharged from the army after going AWOL in a fugue state. Fugue states are often associated with a dissociative identity disorder. He does not imply that the fugue state is a time when Steven took control, and it also implies that he does not know who or what was in control at that time. That tracks with the fact that Marc did not seem to know who took control when he and Steven blacked out during a fight in Episode 3, and Marc has obviously never mentioned another alter. So, if something else took control of Marc’s body during that time, another personality could likely be the culprit.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’
We will find out for sure if Jake Lockley will appear in the series when the Moon Knight finale airs on May 4, 2022. The first five episodes of the series are now streaming on Disney+.
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