Moon Knight (Disney+) (1 Viewer)

[Sean Bryan]

That reminds me, I absolutely LOVED the full integration of Marc and Steve being expressed in battle with Moon Knight and Mr. Knight swapping back and forth. And I loved Steven’s (Mr. Knight’s) little flourishes.

 

[jayembee]

That depends on what Marvel things the engine driving the story is. The appeal of the show to me was that it was about Marc and Steven, specifically. The show itself seemed much more interested in the development of their characters than anything else. So yeah, they could put someone else behind the suit in the future, but that wouldn't really work as a satisfactory followup to this story.

Here's where we differ. I agree that the appeal of the show is that it was about Marc & Steven. But that doesn't mean that someone else as Moon Knight couldn't be just as appealing, for different reasons.

Several characters are already being "recast". We won't see Steve Rogers as Cap anymore, and perhaps Sam Wilson won't have the same appeal, but I'm betting he'll still be popular. Whoever replaces Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther probably won't be as popular as T'Challa, but might still be popular. I'm willing to bet that Yelena Belova will be as popular as -- if not more than -- Natasha Romanov.

Marvel Studios has a proven track record, pretty much no matter what they do. They've taken characters that no one but Marvel die-hards know of, and made them hits. Sure, they might fail at replacing some of these characters, but (a) we won't know until they try, and fail, and (b) I'm not betting against them.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Several characters are already being "recast".

The examples you cite here are very different than Oscar Isaac with Marc and Steven, though. Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson spent the better part of a decade Steve and Natasha, respectively, and their characters really went through a huge transformational arc. By the time they left, it felt as though their characters had been well-served and had been given complete stories. I love those actors in those parts, bit they came to a natural conclusion where their journeys were complete. So it feels much more natural to pass the baton to the next actor.

T'Challa's long-term story, of course, was just getting started and having him leave at this juncture will almost certainly be narratively awkward. But in that very specific case, Marvel is responding to real-world circumstances that were out of their control following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. They are doing what they had to do in going forward without him.

Oscar Isaac hasn't had that much time as Moon Knight yet. Even though Marc and Steven are at peace with each other in the finale, the introduction of Jake means that their story is not resolved; Marc and Steven are still in danger as long as their body is being manipulated by Konshu. Plus, it still leaves resolution of their relationship(s) with Layla open-ended. So this is not an appropriate time to transition to a new actor as Moon Knight. I think they need Oscar Isaac. I also think @Sean Bryan is right that Oscar Isaac will want to do it. But it is unusual for Marvel not to just have the actor under an option to continue because they typically do that.

s I said before, if we take Oscar Isaac at his word that he is not signed up for more at the moment, he will have the leverage when Marvel comes to him for a new contract. I don't think that re-signing him will be a problem, but I do think he will be able to get more generous terms than he might have if they already had him under option.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It’s sort of interesting that the consensus here seems to be that the mid-credits reveal is being seeing as a cliffhanger. I didn’t really take it as such.

For me, it was a great little storytelling nugget that wrapped up two of the season’s big unanswered questions - was there definitely a third personality (yes) and would Ethan Hawke meet a more permanent end (yes). It certainly leaves an opening to pick up from if they make another season or transition the characters to a film, but for me it worked as resolution to this season rather than as a setup for another one.

 

[Jake Lipson]

For me, it was a great little storytelling nugget that wrapped up two of the season’s big unanswered questions - was there definitely a third personality (yes) and would Ethan Hawke meet a more permanent end (yes).

I would see it that way if Jake working with Konshu did not pose a threat to Marc and Steven. If Jake was the twin of Marc and Steven but occupied a separate body (hypothetically), then what Jake does is his own business. But since they are all in the same body, it undercut Konshu's promise to release them from servitude.

I was really surprised when Ethan Hawke was announced for this show. It was a pleasant surprise because I'm a big fan of him. But he doesn't tend to do giant franchise stuff. I didn't think he would want to make a long-term commitment to be in several projects. Now that we have seen the tag, it seems clear to me that he did it because it was a one-season commitment for him. He probably knew when he said yes that Harrow would die at the end.

 

[Walter Kittel]

On the question of the final segment offering resolution vs. setting up a second season. Yes.

- Walter.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I would see it that way if Jake working with Konshu did not pose a threat to Marc and Steven. If Jake was the twin of Marc and Steven but occupied a separate body (hypothetically), then what Jake does is his own business. But since they are all in the same body, it undercut Konshu's promise to release them from servitude.

I saw that as the point - Khonshu is only as honest as he needs to be, which is to say, not very. He’s never acted in the best interests of Mark or Steven, that’s not who he was when he was controlling them and that’s not who he is now either. Jake and Khonshu are now doing to Mark what Mark and Khonshu did to Steven. It’s not really a surprise to me.

 

[Sean Bryan]

The examples you cite here are very different than Oscar Isaac with Marc and Steven, though. Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson spent the better part of a decade Steve and Natasha, respectively, and their characters really went through a huge transformational arc. By the time they left, it felt as though their characters had been well-served and had been given complete stories. I love those actors in those parts, bit they came to a natural conclusion where their journeys were complete. So it feels much more natural to pass the baton to the next actor.

T'Challa's long-term story, of course, was just getting started and having him leave at this juncture will almost certainly be narratively awkward. But in that very specific case, Marvel is responding to real-world circumstances that were out of their control following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. They are doing what they had to do in going forward without him.

Oscar Isaac hasn't had that much time as Moon Knight yet. Even though Marc and Steven are at peace with each other in the finale, the introduction of Jake means that their story is not resolved; Marc and Steven are still in danger as long as their body is being manipulated by Konshu. Plus, it still leaves resolution of their relationship(s) with Layla open-ended. So this is not an appropriate time to transition to a new actor as Moon Knight. I think they need Oscar Isaac. I also think @Sean Bryan is right that Oscar Isaac will want to do it. But it is unusual for Marvel not to just have the actor under an option to continue because they typically do that.

s I said before, if we take Oscar Isaac at his word that he is not signed up for more at the moment, he will have the leverage when Marvel comes to him for a new contract. I don't think that re-signing him will be a problem, but I do think he will be able to get more generous terms than he might have if they already had him under option.

I read that Kevin Feige said something along the lines of “Marvel Studios is moving away from signing actors to long term contracts”. The sentiment being that they’d rather have actors choosing to return for a project they are excited about rather than being an obligation. I can see the positive aspects of that, but I also think it could make it harder for them to make long term plans (and be more expensive). I‘m not sure where the original statement was made though.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I saw that as the point - Khonshu is only as honest as he needs to be, which is to say, not very.

I absolutely 100% agree with you that that is the point. But that's why it isn't a satisfying ending. In order for Marc and Steven to be happy and safe, they need to be able to walk away from Khonshu, and that includes the body that they share with Jake. So by doing this, it robs them of the ending they thought was provided to them. That's why it felt like a cliffhanger. The end of their story would probably be the end of Moon Knight, so that's not going to happen if Marvel wants to continue this. And that's okay.

But I do think they have created here something very similar to their other Steve. Steve Rogers was only done when he could finally put himself first and walk away from the Captain America mantle to be with Peggy. It will probably be a while until Marvel wants to be done with Marc and Steven, but it feels like that would be the ending that would be appropriate for them when the time comes for that.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Here’s the article about Feige talking bout long term contracts.

Kevin Feige Says Marvel Studios Is Moving Away From Long-Term Deals

Kevin Feige shared Marvel Studios is no longer doing long-term contracts that they’ve done in the past for Samuel L Jackson and others.

heroichollywood.com

Though I’d imagine there’s a difference between signing someone for 3 films and 9 films.

 

[jayembee]

The examples you cite here are very different than Oscar Isaac with Marc and Steven, though. [snip]

Sure, I know that. I wasn't trying to argue a point that they will just have someone else be a new avatar and call it a day. I was really just trying to point out that if Isaac doesn't want to do anything further, they have that as an option. Nothing is left off the table,

 

[NeilO]

No idea if you can see this, but on FB an artist has started posting some of his mood pieces to inspire the production.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Decided to give episode six another viewing earlier today. I think I actually enjoyed it a bit more with the entirety of the series in clearer focus (as I alluded to in a previous post.) Listening to the snippet of Sinatra's My Way of Life again in the post credits segment and later listening to the song in its entirety via You Tube I was struck by how much it felt like the sort of song one might hear accompanying the opening credits of a James Bond film. (The horns and the overall bold tone of the song reinforced this idea.)



- Walter.

 

[Jake Lipson]

 

[Jake Lipson]

 

[NeilO]

I believe the Assembled: Making of Moon Knight is available today.

 

[Clark Green]

Moon Knight is one of the very rare Marvel based shows or movies that I could not stand. I made it through the series but was super disappointed in the whole thing. If they never made a second season, I would not upset. I didn't like the characters, didn't like the story, nothing at all grabbed me. Hoping this is the last we see of him and her.

 

[NeilO]

One of the cool things in the Making Of is seeing Oscar Isaac acting with his brother, who came out and played the other of Steven/Marc when they were both seen at the same time such as in the institution.

 

[Jake Lipson]

The Pitch Meeting is here and it's very accurate:

 

[TonyD]

“They keep walking and find a hippo”

“What?”