Here Are the First Reactions and Early Reviews for Marvel’s ‘Moon Knight’

Moon Knight is here! Episode 1 is now streaming on Disney Plus, and reviewers have access to the first four episodes of the latest Marvel Studios superhero series. The reviews are now pouring in, so we’ve collected some first reactions and early reviews.

Moon Knight tells the story of Steven Grant, a mild-mannered museum gift shop employee, who discovers that he has dissociative identity disorder. A series of blackouts leads him to the discovery that he shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector, and the two of them take on cult leader Arthur Harrow as the titular Moon Knight.

The primary thing most reviewers seem to agree on is that the new series is one of the darker and more violent entries in the MCU. Aside from that, though, reviews are mixed, with some reviewers loving it and others hating it. Here are a few of the highlights!

Oscar Isaac Carries the Series

Most critics are zeroing in on Isaac’s range and acting ability in their praise of the show. Here’s Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter:

The show’s pleasure comes from watching Isaac flex his action muscles, do intentionally silly accents and exhibit a flair for goofy comedy. 

Matt Fowler of IGN also enjoys Isaac’s comic relief.

[The] first episode — which plays like a sly, slapstick mystery — is helped across the finish line by Isaac’s fun and rambunctious performance as a bumbling museum employee, Steven Grant, caught up in a dangerous duel between Egyptian gods. The premiere, like that of WandaVision (which didn’t start fully answering questions until its fourth episode), asks for patience as it offers very few specifics about poor Steven’s mental state, but Isaac’s “everyman” is such an endearing rom-com style fool that it all makes for an enticing introduction to a very unique crusader.

Therese Lacson of The Beat is also impressed by Isaac, especially his portrayal of the back and forth between Steven and Marc:

Much like the success of Loki, it’s the interpersonal relationships that hit hard in this series. And like that show, Isaac’s talent is unparalleled, especially when it comes to jumping back and forth between Marc and Steven….The scenes with just Marc and Steven are every bit as compelling, if not more, than his scenes with the other characters.

Josh Spiegel of Slash Film agrees, saying that Isaac singlehandedly carries the show:

“Moon Knight” is agreeably interesting, because Oscar Isaac is as well cast here as he was in [Inside Llewyn Davis]. But it’s still bracing to think how much things have changed, for actors like him and Abraham and Hawke, and the MCU, and culture, in just one decade. This show, like the rest of us, is just lucky that Oscar Isaac cares enough to try so hard.

“Middle Tier” or “Triumph?”

Unfortunately, aside from Isaac’s performance, many critics are saying that this show isn’t one of the more engrossing entries in the MCU. Here’s Nate Adams of The Only Critic:

There’s little tension in the plot which hinges on Egyptian lore and the resurrection of Ammit (Harrow is literally trying to release the beast) plus a side quest involving Marc’s wife Layla (May Calamawy) comes up empty handed. It’s obvious series creator Jeremy Slater had to find a tone within the framework of the carefully curated MCU canon…the brawls and fight choreography in “Moon Knight” all feel stuck on autopilot, never leaning into the cheekiness of the character’s split personas.

Mike Hale of The New York Times isn’t vastly impressed with the show’s writing, saying that “the ability of the performers exceeds the inventiveness of the crew.” However, he does like the supporting characters:

The show’s best moments belong to Abraham, who delivers helpful advice like “Kill him! Break his windpipe!” in hilariously stentorian tones. But the character we like best is the highly capable Layla, who gets to be the action star while Steven and Marc snipe at each other; May Calamawy, who plays the rebellious sister in “Ramy,” gives Layla an appealingly irritated insouciance.

Lissete Lanuza Sáenz of Fangirlish disagrees with all the naysayers, though, calling the show a “triumph.”

Moon Knight is a triumph, unlike any other Marvel has had because it proves that though the studio’s tried and true formula might have worked for a long time, there’s more there to be explored. There are different ways of telling a good story. We all knew this, of course, but Marvel’s resistance to change had been one of its defining characteristics in the past. No longer.

And finally, our own Rachel Leishman gives the show 5/5 moon cycles.

What I didn’t expect from the show was how genuinely funny it is….Moon Knight is a much watch not only for fans of the MCU but for everyone!

What are your first thoughts and reactions to Moon Knight? How many moon cycles would you give it? Let us know in the comments!

(featured image: MARZ VFX/Marvel Entertainment)