TV Miniseries Review: ‘Moon Knight’: Marvel’s Jewish Superhero

It took years to confirm in the pages of his Marvel comic book, but Marc Spector was indeed one of the first Jewish superhero alter egos, along with the Fantastic Four’s Ben Grimm. In the comics, his father, Elias, was identified as an immigrant rabbi who survived the Holocaust.

The Marvel hero now has his own streaming series, but it is unclear how much of his Jewish heritage will be reflected, at least from the first four (out of six) episodes provided for review. (But there are press reports of the casting of his Jewish parents, presumably to be seen in later flashback scenes.)

Regardless, when viewers first meet Spector, he is not in the best of shape. The mercenary still serves as the empowered avatar of the fictional Egyptian moon spirit of vengeance, Khonshu, but he must share a body with the persona of nebbish Steven Grant, thanks to his severe dissociative identity disorder. Spector only comes out at times of extreme physical stress, but such instances happen plenty often in “Moon Knight,” adapted by head-writer Jeremy Slater and showrunner Mohamed Diab.

Superhero in London

It might sound ironic that a Jewish-American mercenary would do the dirty work of an Egyptian higher being, but that is part of the tension that the comic explored. Regardless, Spector certainly seems to know his way around the Middle Eastern country when the action shifts to Egypt, but it starts in London, where his shy Grant identity works as a gift store clerk someplace very much like the British Museum. Although bullied on the job, Grant displays a knowledge of ancient Egyptian culture well above his lowly position. Of course, that will come in handy later.

Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant and alter ego Marc Spector in "Moon Knight." (Disney+)

Tormented by vivid dreams and bouts of sleepwalking, the confused Grant ties his leg to a bedpost each night and tries to forestall sleep as long as possible. Yet he inevitably comes to at awkward moments, finding himself battling thugs loyal to Arthur Harrow, a sinister cult leader. Harrow’s notion of justice approaches the fanatical. He too once served as Khonshu’s earthly avatar, but he came to the conclusion that the avenging immortal is not sufficiently proactive.

Egyptian Antagonist

Harrow now secretly plots to release Khonshu’s old antagonist, Ammit, who has been held in stasis within her secret tomb. Khonshu is definitely a bit of an overbearing blowhard (whose stern voice constantly reverberates in Spector/Grant’s head), but he believes that issues of guilt and innocence should still be adjudicated fairly. Ammit would ruthlessly cut down anyone she judged to be inclined toward criminal deviancy, like a manifestation of “Minority Report” from Egyptian antiquity.

What really distinguishes “Moon Knight” from the recent crush of superhero programming is the ancient Egyptian themes and motifs. There is a lot of hieroglyphics, sarcophaguses, and flying scarabs. The Moon Knight suit that Spector can summon to channel Khonshu’s superpowers also comes equipped with some impressive crescent-shaped throwing weapons.

Yet showrunner Diab (who is probably best known for the film “Cairo 678,” which blisteringly critiqued the misogyny of Egyptian Islamists) also maintains the hardboiled noir vibe of the early comic books. For a while, the “Moon Knight” comic book was criticized for its “Batman”-like vibe, until it started to lean more forcefully into the ancient Egyptian backstory.

Big, Bad Villain

Marvel’s latest series also boasts a truly creepy villain in Arthur Harrow, played with surprisingly chilling menace by Ethan Hawke. Reportedly inspired by David Koresh, viewers can also find echoes of cult leaders like Charles Manson and Jim Jones in the hippie-ish New Age messianic megalomaniac. It is the serenity masking his ruthlessness that makes Hawke’s performance so creepy.

Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow in "Moon Knight." (Disney+)

Oscar Isaac plays the Spector persona with a steeliness that suits the show’s noir vibe, but he is a bit too whiny and sheepish as the meek Grant. However, F. Murray Abraham’s booming voice is perfect for the stentorian Khonshu. Although the visions of the Egyptian immortal are computer generated, he plays an intriguing role in the narrative, especially when he interacts with his rival Egyptian higher beings.

Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant (L) and F. Murray Abraham as the voice of Khonshu in "Moon Knight." (Disney+)

There are some nicely choreographed fight sequences and the Khonshu character design is pretty striking, but the Moon Knight suit often looks a little weird in close-ups. Regardless, Hawke gives one of the best supervillain performances of any of the Marvel/Disney+ series, so far.

Diab and Slater keep it almost entirely free of wider Marvel MCU references, so casual viewers can watch it without referring to the internet for an explanation of any stray cameos. As long as it eventually acknowledges Spector’s Jewish heritage in a respectful way, it should satisfy longstanding fans of the superhero.

Recommended as something a little different from Marvel, “Moon Knight” starts streaming March 30 on Disney+.

‘Moon Knight’ Director: Mohamed Diab Stars: Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, May Calamawy Running Time: 6 episodes MPAA Rating: Unrated Release Date: March 30, 2022 Rating: 3.5 out of 5