According to producer Grant Curtis, watching Moon Knight doesn't require any previous MCU knowledge. This week marks the start of Marvel's latest live-action Disney+ series, and it couldn't be farther from the studio's last one, the holiday-themed Hawkeye. Moon Knight now focuses on a brand new MCU hero and looks to take the franchise into fresh territory. Oscar Isaac plays the lead character, who is both Marc Spector and Steven Grant. Marc is a mercenary with dissociative identity disorder, and Steven is one of his alters. Moon Knight episode 1 finds Steven trying to piece together what's been going on around him as a result of Marc's actions.
Isaac has teased Moon Knight as being more like a character study than anything else, and when focusing just on the mental health aspect of the series, it feels like this could be a standard drama. However, Moon Knight is also an MCU project, and an Egyptian god, Khonshu, gave Marc special abilities that he can use to fight crime. The show also stars May Calamawy and Ethan Hawke, and F. Murray Abraham voices Khonshu.
Screen Rant got the chance to sit down with Curtis, one of Moon Knight's producers, in honor of the show's Disney+ premiere. One of the topics that came up is a frequent one for new MCU projects: How much does it connect to the broader universe? Curtis assured fans that they don't need to come into Moon Knight as an expert in all things Marvel; in fact, one doesn't need any previous knowledge of the franchise at all. Curtis said:
Well, here's the great thing about the Moon Knight series we made. It's definitely in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but whether you have seen all of the other Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings or this is your first deep dive, as long as you're a fan of really good storytelling, I think you're going to find an aspect of Moon Knight for you. You don't need to have that previous knowledge.
Accessible indeed. I do think, if you're a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you will see those Easter eggs that we've peppered throughout this. And I think you'll get a kick out of them. But again, if this is your first dive into the MCU, I think this globetrotting action-adventure that we take Marc Spector and Steven Grant on, I think you're going to enjoy it.
When audiences watch Moon Knight episode 1, they might actually be thrown by the realization that it takes place within the MCU. There are no references to Avengers or the Blip; instead, the show focuses entirely on setting up Steven's life and his connection to Marc. While it's hard to say what the rest of the series will look like, those involved with Moon Knight have stressed that it has very few connections to the rest of the MCU, and that it's almost more like a standalone project. That isn't to say that Isaac's character won't later interact with other Marvel characters, but for these next 5 episodes, he'll be caught up in only his own journey.
Therefore, Moon Knight might actually find itself benefitting from a broader audience. The MCU's past Disney+ shows relied on viewers knowing the detailed histories of everyone from Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) to Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). That might've turned some people off, particularly if they skipped a Marvel movie or two over the years. This has long been one of the issues with the franchise. Moon Knight doesn't require anyone to be that up-to-date on what's going on in the MCU, and that makes it a very exciting project. Fans can still look out for Easter eggs, but don't expect to see an Avenger flying by overhead.
Moon Knight releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.
