A spoiler-free discussion.
Oscar Isaacs as Moon Knight
With so many new superhero films and shows being released every year now, there tends to be a certain unfavorable familiarity attached to them in the form of clichés that the shows and films would have to get over in order for the real story to take place. However, with Moon Knight, Marvel’s most recent streaming show on Disney+, the production team has managed to capture the essence of the character without having to resort to a full-blown origin story to make its mark.
In fact, this is exactly what the show does right, and that’s part of its appeal among fans. Within the show, the character of Moon Knight is already well-established as the superhero that we know, with his origin story only being that of a quick flashback sequence between Khonshu and Mark Spector in the desert. The show instead repurposes itself as a mystery that needs to be solved, revolving around Moon Knight’s many personalities and the added ticking time bomb that is the awakening of Ammit.
From the get-go, we, the audience, are thrust headfirst into the story, allowing for the show to display a hint of originality in terms of how it provides the exposition regarding the Moon Knight character in general. This shows a sense of understanding on the part of the production team in knowing that fans have indeed grown tired of the typical origin story for the superheroes that they enjoy watching.
To put it simply, it is the story that is at the forefront of Moon Knight, and not so much the character himself trying to wade his way through understanding his abilities and honing his skills. No longer are we doused with montages of the superhero becoming the superhero, but instead, get right into the nitty-gritty of the superhero being his prime self throughout the show.
It is somewhat refreshing to think of this approach when introducing a new character to the screen, as it allows for a certain versatility in terms of storytelling to take place without sacrificing the necessary details that make the show a superhero origin. It allows the production team to play the superhero trope from a different angle and not just as a typical linear storyline.
That is exactly where Moon Knight excels as a show, as we are not bogged down by the cliches that often are associated with any superhero origin. Audiences did not need to spend a couple of episodes watching Moon Knight become Moon Knight, because the character was already established even before the show began. The way we learn about the character has changed, and it is certainly a welcome change of pace from what has come before. With that being said, we certainly hope to see future new characters introduced to us in a similar fashion to break the monotony of what superheroes have become today.
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