Fans around the world are currently enjoying Marvel Studios’ latest Disney + series, Knights of the Moon. The Oscar Isaac-led show sees its titular character navigating with their dissociative identity disorder, alongside dealing with the fact that they are the avatar of the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu. However, this project has one important difference from its other MCU brothers: it stands alone.
For many, that quality is one of the most refreshing aspects of the show. There are no cameos from other MCU heroes, references to major world events (such as the Statue of Liberty debacle) or even any need for prior knowledge – the audience can jump straight into episode one and know everything they need.
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It’s an interesting aspect that, for better or worse, is rarely seen in Marvel’s projects. Even the latest Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten ringswhich created a whole new corner of the world, had heavy references to Doctor Strange’s world – such as Wong’s involvement.
But why is the project so separate from the broader MCU around it? Well, luckily one of the instructors for the series is here to help answer that.
Why Moon Knight feels separated from MCU
In an interview with Digital Spy ahead of the official premiere of the Disney + show, Knights of the Moon director Aaron Moorhead talked about why they chose the series to be relatively unrelated to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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According to him, the hero stands alone as a character “was one of the foundations of this whole project,” and with that has been “no expectations for him … the project could be anything:”
“Make sure Knights of the Moon was something that could stand completely alone as a character was one of the foundations of making this whole project. Our executive producer Grant [Curtis] and also Mohamed [Diab], the other director and EP, they all said, ‘There’s no point in doing this if we do not want to be able to be bold in spending all that currency on having a character that no one knows anything about. , and it does not need to be connected in any way. There are no expectations for him so we can do whatever we want … and that was actually one of the reasons Justin and I really wanted to do this project. It’s that there was … He could be anything. The project can be anything. “
When asked why the character resonates with Moorhead personally, the director pointed out how Moon Knight is “an outsider:”
“He’s an outsider, and he’s something very different from the rest of that universe. And that’s also something that encouraged us to take some unusual risks with it.”
In a commentary on what it was like to jump into the Marvel Studios ecosystem, the filmmaker noted it “everyone was on the same page of wanting to tell one Indiana Jones-like adventure: “
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“I think everyone was on the same page with wanting to tell one Indiana Jones-like adventure that had a darkness and an edge at the same time. And again, these would mean that you have to spend for these processes. it is more governed by what will be the scariest at the moment, or the funniest at the moment. And how do all those things complement each other in finding the right rhythm? “
Avoid MCU in the room
Hopefully fans enjoy the series’ interruption as much as they can now because it certainly won’t last that long. It’s an easier task to draw on for a character’s origin story, but the longer a person like Moon Knight exists in MCU, the harder it becomes to believe that he would not have encountered anyone at all – especially one like Sorcerer Supreme.
There’s plenty of potential for the character to connect with the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe sooner rather than later.
First, the upcoming Taika Waititis film Thor: Love and Thunder could easily bind in Knights of the Moon. After all, the play’s villain is called Gorr the God Butcher – it certainly looks like Khonshus’ activity may find its way into Christian Bale’s radar at some point.
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Audiences should also consider that Mahershala Ali’s Blade is out there recruiting people on the supernatural side of the universe. No doubt he wants some words with Marc Spector; a fist of Khonshu could certainly be of use to him.
Knights of the Moon currently streaming on Disney +.