Moon Knight Reviews Roundup: What Did the Critics Think?

Marvel Studios’ latest Disney+ series, Moon Knight, debuts on Wednesday on the streaming service. As such, reviews for the new series — based on the first four episodes — are beginning to appear online. While some are loving the series and praising it as Marvel’s best television effort yet, others are more mixed, noting an unevenness. Others note that a lot will depend on how Marvel wraps up the series in its final two episodes. We’ve gathered up a collection of reviews from critics here. Check them out below, and follow through to the links to see each critic’s full thoughts on the series.

Moon Knight follows Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, who becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life. Steven discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.

Moon Knight stars Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, and May Calamawy. It debuts on Disney+ on March 30th.

ComicBook.com

“Moon Knight is a massive show, packed to the brim with excellent character moments. It does an excellent job of introducing the title character to the masses, and clips along at a brisk pace (even though it has some of Disney+’s longest run times). Isaac is a perfect addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he handles the role with extreme care. If jumping in cold, few would know this series is even part of the interconnected Marvel Studios world, save for the house’s iconic intro being played before every episode.  Moon Knight doesn’t rely on the connective tissues every other Disney+ Marvel project has to date. In turn, the creatives are allowed to make the show be the best it can be. Fans hoping for a darker series get what they want here, and it’s earnestly one of Marvel’s strongest outings yet — considering both film and television.” — Adam Barnhardt, ComicBook.com

IGN

“At the start of Moon Knight, there’s little more than Oscar Isaac’s Steven Grant flailing around on a battleground he doesn’t (and we don’t) understand to keep us going. But Isaac’s animated efforts, as the meeker half of a double-sided man, craft what could be a grim ride into a jovial romp. Moon Knight is treated like a necessary evil of sorts, an encroaching enemy with designs on drowning Steven out of existence, so it will be interesting to see how the series treats Marc when he finally arrives. Will it be a situation like The Long Kiss Goodnight‘s Charly Baltimore, where the real answer lies somewhere in the middle of Marc and Steven, or is this so much of a standalone story that Moon Knight himself/itself is the ultimate obstacle? We’re left in the dark here, but in a fascinating way, and with two solid leads infusing confidence in the crucible to come.” — Matt Fowler, IGN

Variety

“”Moon Knight” drags a bit towards its middle; its fourth episode, the final one made available to critics, has some baggy moments ahead of a closing sequence that provides a much-need kickstart. And the show may yet wrap up with a bow, or use its final installment to explain how these characters really have a role to play in the next “Spider-Man” film. But there’s a high-stepping riskiness to its first four episodes that is a good look for a studio that’s often more careful than it is wild. Exploring other facets of the universe while trusting audience members not to wonder how it all connects has enabled Marvel to make a series that is finding its way towards a genuinely compelling portrait of dissociation, anchored by two terrific performances. The fact that it can be watched on its own terms is icing on the cake.” – Daniel D’Addario, Variety

The Hollywood Reporter

“Conceptually, the first season of Moon Knight feels intended less as a TV show and more as an explanation for why viewers would want to watch the character eventually hobnob with Doctor Strange or Blade or whomever. So far, it’s an argument for Oscar Isaac, and not Moon Knight, to join the Avengers.” — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter

Yahoo

“With two episodes remaining, I’m excited to find out if Moon Knight sticks the landing. This certainly has the potential to be the new benchmark for a Marvel series. The challenge now is for the show to reach a satisfying conclusion while opening the door for Moon Knight to join the MCU at large in the future. If so, it will be a success.” — Jacob Siegal, Yahoo

The Playlist

“Ethan Hawke is very good as the messianic figure Arthur Harrow (cue a chilling opening sequence set to Bob Dylan’s “Every Grain of Sand” which obviously is a Marvel first). And the way his character’s morally twisted perspective makes him the hero and savior of the story seems incredibly absorbing. But every time a purple CGI swirl shoots out from his staff or a kooky-looking Egyptian God appears, it’s a reminder of the genre and the universe we’re in. Lip service is played to notions of mental illness, traumatically broken humans, and all that, but at the end of the day, this is a superhero TV show, and the kind of character depth we crave from must-see TV always feels like it’s kept at an unsatisfying distance. Granted, the fourth episode of “Moon Knight” purports to blow up and upend the entire narrative of what you have seen so far and tries to trick you into thinking that none of it has been real, but we’ll see how long that lasts (one episode, I bet). “Moon Knight” is vaguely different, has no real connections to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and will be hailed by many as a deeply original chapter in the MCU. But when you look outside that limited worldview and recognize all the aforementioned touchstones it’s drawing from, “Moon Knight” is initially thought-provoking, but hardly the game changer that many devout fanboys will likely declare it.” — Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

CNET

“[T]he fractured personalities and surreal tone recall Legion, an FX show adapted from the X-Men comics by Noah Hawley which ran three seasons from 2017 to 2019. Legion was a trippy treat, an audacious and eye-popping riot of mind-fuckery. Moon Knight isn’t as confrontationally crazy as Legion — the cinematography is the usual Marvel muddiness compared with Legion‘s kaleidoscopic visuals. But there are strong indications that as the series progresses it will zoom off into further reaches of insanity. I can’t wait.” – Richard Trenholm, CNET

JoBlo

“There will be nit-pickers who are going to complain about some of the CGI in this series, notably the Egyptian hellhounds and some moments in the premiere episode care chase. Yes, I will admit that there are some weak spots with those effects, but they are more than made up for with the excellent work on Khonshu as well as with the transformation sequences hinted at in the trailers. In costume, both Moon Knight and Mr. Knight outfits look great and the work on the glowing eyes is one of my favorite effects to date. I love how un-MCU this series is while still feeling right at home in the comic book universe from Marvel Studios. Oscar Isaac is a great addition to this mythos and Ethan Hawke already ranks as one of the best Marvel villains yet. My only complaint is that six episodes are not nearly enough Moon Knight and I already want more.” — Alex Maidy, JoBlo

The Verge

“That approach has worked in the past with classic heroes like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America who — up until a few short years ago — were not yet the big box office draws the MCU turned them into with a series of features delving into their origins and lives. With Moon Knight, though, it feels as if the studio’s trying to replicate that revitalization process in a much, much shorter timeframe with a character who’s somewhat more difficult to sell, in part, because he’s a super mummy who sometimes speaks like he’s wandered off a stage production of Pygmalion.” – Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge