Moon Knight TV show will be the first MCU project in 2022, seeing that Morbius isn’t officially a part of the main MCU continuity. The new, awesome character feels like the darkest MCU installation to premiere on Disney+ yet. With the new direction the MCU is heading towards, fans wonder how Moon Knight will connect to the MCU?
We don’t know for certain where Moon Knight will take place in the MCU timeline, apart from it being another installation of the MCU Phase 4. It will dive into Marc Spector’s dissociative identity disorder, continuing MCU’s recent trend of diving into social issues besides the superhero action.
As for the plot, we don’t know much, apart from Oscar Isaac playing the titular character, Moon Knight. However, seeing that the new version of Blade will soon premiere and hearing the rumors about Ghost Rider having a cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it seems that Marvel is setting up an MCU version of the Midnight Sons. Here’s how it fits.
When Does The Moon Knight Story Take Place In The MCU Timeline?
Unfortunately, there are no specific details about the timeline of the Moon Knight series or when exactly it will take place in the MCU’s grand scheme. We know several things, though; enough to speculate and make some educated guesses.
Moon Knight will be a part of the MCU Phase 4, which kicked off in 2021 with WandaVision, the first TV series that was officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
That means, barring some major timeline changes, Moon Knight will fit somewhere around the same time as WandaVision, or later – meaning, not before 2023.
Of course, we may see earlier flashbacks or the plot stretching from before 2023 to well after 2023, but those are all just assumptions until the show premieres. The only thing we know for certain is that Moon Knight is a part of Phase 4.
We also know that the show will premiere on March 30, 2022, exclusively on Disney+. It’ll have six 40-50 minute episodes coming out weekly, with the finale premiering on May 4, 2022.
Where Will Moon Knight Fit In The MCU’s Bigger Picture?
Again, we can’t know anything for certain until the show premieres. Still, we can piece together the rumors, the trailer for Moon Knight, the character’s comics history, and other announced MCU projects to get a better picture about where Moon Knight will fit in the MCU’s bigger picture.
Moon Knight first worked as a solo street-level vigilante in the comics, using his several personalities to fight crime. One of those personalities is Steven Grant, a multimillionaire who uses his wealth to create high-tech equipment to aid his job – the personality will be introduced in the TV show as well, as the first trailer confirmed.
However, later in the character’s comics history, Moon Knight became a part of many superhero teams, including West Coast Avengers, Secret Avengers, Marvel Knights, Heroes for Hire, and most notably, the Midnight Sons.
I’m saying “most notably” next to the Midnight Sons because, as it seems, Marvel is setting up a version of that team forming in the MCU Phase 4 or Phase 5.
For those who don’t know, the Midnight Sons were a group of heroes formed by none other than the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange himself. Strange needed help fighting cosmic-level, supernatural threats such as Shuma-Gorath, Mephisto, and others, so he formed the group to help him save the planet.
The group changed members throughout the years, but some of them were Strange, Moon Knight, Blade, Ghost Rider, Black Knight, Scarlet Witch… you see where I’m going with this? If not, let me explain.
In the trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we see the Sorcerer Supreme ask for help from Scarlet Witch. We also see a particular tentacled cosmic being in a split-second of the trailer (believed to be Shuma-Gorath, one of the Midnight Son’s biggest foes).
In the Eternals post-credit scene, Dane Whitman comes into the possession of family heritage, the Ebony Blade – a sword of unfathomable powers wielded by the Black Knight, who Dane Whitman becomes in the comics. However, he’s stopped by a voice, later revealed to be Mahershala Ali’s Blade – who will also get a stand-alone MCU movie quite soon.
Finally, there have been countless rumors about Ghost Rider getting introduced into the MCU. Some say it’ll be Johnny Depp. Some are about Norman Reedus taking the role, while others believe it will be Keanu Reeves. Whoever it is, it seems like the cameo is all but confirmed.
With all that being said, we have almost the entire Midnight Sons crew appearing in the MCU Phase 4. Everything is pointing in the direction that Moon Knight will be a part of the team just like in the comics – if not in the Moon Knight TV series, then at least in his MCU future.
Of course, there’s also a possibility of him joining the post-Endgame Avengers team. We’ve seen Kate Bishop getting an introduction to the MCU recently in Hawkeye, and Ms. Marvel and Ironheart are already announced to make their own debuts.
Seeing that Moon Knight was a part of several superhero teams in the comics, it might be possible for him to join the new group as well. It’s unlikely, though, as that particular group of superheroes seems more likely to be leaning towards creating the Young Avengers group within the MCU.
If you ask me, the Midnight Sons are all but assembled, and I just can’t wait for the MCU to get darker, grittier, and overall more serious.
How Does The Moon Knight Series Compare To Other MCU Shows?
Since the MCU’s beginnings, most movies within the universe have had a little social comment in the undertext of the main plot. However, after Phase 4 kicked off, the focus on social issues and deeper personal and societal problems went through the roof. It gave the MCU a whole new dimension besides simple superhero action.
WandaVision touched on how humans deal with grief and how crippling it may be. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier opened up some questions on racism and what it feels like to be an African-American living in the United States and being viewed differently despite being a superhero.
On the other hand, Loki briefly grazed over the topic of bisexuality but focused more on the idea of loving yourself – not in a narcissistic, romantic way, of course, but accepting who you are and not letting others decide who you want to be for you.
Finally, Hawkeye presented dealing with physical impairments such as deafness and how it affects the person’s everyday life, showing that impaired persons are an integral part of our society, capable of great things just like any other person without physical handicaps. With all that being said, how does Moon Knight fit into the same/similar narrative?
Well, Marc Spector, or Steven Grant, or Jake Lockley – is a person suffering from DID – dissociative identity disorder. The three names I mentioned are just a few personalities that Marc Spector has – he has presented at least ten different personalities in the comics.
The show in the MCU so far dealt with human emotions, societal discrimination, sexuality and self-confidence, and physical illness and impairments. Now, Moon Knight will tap into another aspect of human illness that’s still a societal taboo – mental health.
I love Marvel’s path in the MCU’s Phase 4, and I love the awareness they are spreading throughout their TV shows and storylines. It doesn’t take away anything from our beloved superheroes. In fact, it makes them more human – hence, more relatable.
It’ll be incredibly interesting to see how the story of Moon Knight develops throughout the series and what it’ll eventually mean for the future of the MCU.
