On the surface, it’s easy to dismissMoon Knightas just one moreMCUseries on Disney Plus, and make no mistake all of Steven Grant’s personalities have that distinct Marvel DNA in them. And yet, after only two episodes the show is already signs of how it will separate itself from the rest, much in the same wayLokidid last summer.
Kate Herron and Michael Waldron deserve ample credit for achieving that, because while all the other shows were easier to frame into a specific sub-genre,Lokiwas -kind of like the Norse god himself- kind of doing his own thing. Although Herron won’t be back for season two, the directing duo taking over, consisting of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, has just premiered a spectacular audition inMoon Knight’ssecond outing thatpromises great things forLoki.
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What MakesLokiAndMoon KnightDifferent
The main element these two series have in common is their temporary detachment from the rest of MCU.Lokistarts off by telling viewers it’s taking the trickster god right out ofAvengers: Endgameand porting him over to a different part of the multiverse, a different reality, one where besides the rules that govern existence, the entire color palette differs greatly from everything other Marvel production.
The main reason Joss Whedon was brought ontoJustice Leagueso late was to make it pop with some of the more colorful vibes he had instilled as part of the MCU. While Zack Snyder got his chance to prove that decision was wrong, it mirrors some of the things thatLokidid with endless shades of browns and greys that adorned the TVA’s headquarters, which were still perfectly complemented by the usual colorful splashes of green and purple in other parts of the multiverse.
WhileMoon Knighthas to settle with London as its main scenario (for now), both episodes, but especially the second one, make sure to turn this city into Steven Grant’s London. As such, there’s endless mirror play for him to interact with his other personas and provide the show with spectacular shots that are not that common elsewhere in the MCU.
Lokicame off as something that David Fincherpartly inspired, partly thanks to the detectivesque nature of Loki, Morbius and Sylvie’s adventure, yet it could also be likened to theTwilight Zoneat times. It’s funny then that Benson and Moorhead will take the helm as the two men can actually brag someTwilight Zonecredits to their name.
WhatMoon KnightSays AboutLoki’sNext Season
Benson and Moorhead’s resume is comprised entirely of movies and TV episodes in the horror genre, so naturally, it’s not surprising to them to bring a few scares intoMoon Knight, in what is perhaps an MCU first. At least that would be the case if Herron had not already teased some lighter horror elements as part ofLoki, a show that’s almost always veering towards mystery territory.
Herron achieves thisthrough the sheer pacing inLoki, but Benson and Moorhead’s handling ofMoon Knightsuggests the duo has found a way to make the MCU “scary” with clever usage of the flickering lights that are in practically every horror film. Of course,Moon Knightisn’t really scary, at least not for the audience, but the whole story certainly is for Steven Grant.
Khonshu’s towering presence alone is eerie enough, but the way the Egyptian god is introduced for one whole episode without telling the unsuspecting audience who he is, really helps give him a bigger impact when he finally speaks directly to Steven. The shots wherehe and the Moon Knight persona are presentedare all parts of bigger scenes that make great use of the lighting possibilities the directors have at their disposal.
The fact thatMoon Knight’ssecond episodesees its action unfold at night is also a great perk because the MCU has rarely cared for epic night scenes, and even when that’s the case, they mostly take place in very lit and vivid locations. In this sense, Moon Knight’s origins and his similarities with Batman shine through as light is what enablesThe Batman’sstellar cinematography.
Mystery, lighting, jump scares (even MCU ones), and an overall different aesthetic perception of the MCU are all traits thatLokiwill surely welcome in its second season, as they were all to a certain extent things that Herron tried or toyed with at some point. Add the fact that Loki himself is stepping into unknown territory in the newfound multiverse, and Benson and Moorhead sure have a lot to play with.
Waldron will return forLoki’ssecond season, and his Rick and Morty Background definitely instills confidence in the idea that he can write the perfect script for Benson and Moorhead.Get ready for a very differentLoki, because at this stage it’s hard to think Marvel Studios hired these two horror veterans for anything else than that.
