Marvel Studios’ upcoming Moon Knight Disney + series is expected to take lessons from Marvel Television’s Punisher, making it a unique MCU adventure.

Upcoming marvel Moon knight The series can learn important lessons from old Marvel Netflix punisher spectacle. The MCU has changed shape over the past year, becoming a true transmedia franchise. There has been a constant stream of popular TV series on the Disney + streaming service, and unlike older Marvel Television shows, they are neatly integrated into the overall MCU narrative. Given the success of WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and Marvel What if…?, it’s easy to forget that the old Marvel Television series existed.

But that would be a mistake, because Marvel Television has been a remarkable success. Marvel Studios’ Disney + show budgets may not have blossomed, but its flagship TV series Agents of SHIELD spanned seven seasons and established a remarkably deep mythology encompassing everything from Inhumans to Ghost Riders, time travel (which turns out to be more cohesive than the main MCU) to alien threats. Meanwhile, the Marvel Netflix lineup – though barely flawless – included some of the best superhero TV shows of the past decade, such as daredevil and The punisher. Ironically, the very fact that Marvel Studios got the top pick – leaving Marvel Television only their “rejects” – worked in their favor, forcing Marvel Television to take a much bolder and more experimental approach.

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Of all of Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney + TV shows, there is one that has the potential to embrace this legacy above all others. Moon knight, with Oscar Isaac as the titular vigilante, will dive into a unique character even in the comics; Although he is often referred to as Marvel’s Batman, Moon Knight is much more complex than the Caped Crusader, suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. Marvel Studios would be wise to look to one of Marvel Television’s biggest hits, The punisher, for inspiration.

Moon Knight should be more violent

Marvel Studios traditionally make their movies and TV series as family entertainment, coveting a PG-13 rating, but that will change; President Kevin Feige himself has confirmed the next Deadpool 3 will be an R-rated MCU movie. While Moon knight is unlikely to aim for a similar R rating, it should definitely aim to be a lot more mature than Marvel’s standard fare – and a lot more violent. In the comics, Moon Knight is one of the most brutal vigilantes of all, known to have killed his enemies just like the Punisher, and often hunted by other Marvel superheroes because of the lines he crossed. . Stylistically, Moon knight should have the same kind of feeling as The punisher season 2, which opened with Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle attempting to pursue a civilian life and increasingly attempting to resume his murderous career. There should be the same feeling that Moon Knight is a disturbing presence, a storm about to crash, a time bomb just begging to explode with dramatic results. When viewers are watching, they should be wondering when he will be unleashed, when those around him will realize what they have allowed to enter among them.

Moon Knight should embrace the trauma

Marvel Netflix’s The punisher focused on trauma, with particular emphasis on the theme of PTSD experienced by veterans and the guilt of survivors. This idea was at the heart of Jon Bernthal’s phenomenal portrayal of Frank Castle, and his supporting cast and even his enemies dealt with the same issues. It meant the two seasons of The punisher were as much a character study as they were a violent action-adventure series, and while that sometimes resulted in frustrating pacing issues, in general, it made them absolutely fascinating. When the history of Marvel Television punisher was over, audiences knew it was a series with something to say, a series that gave them a unique glimpse into a traumatized world. This approach lends itself perfectly to Moon Knight. Unlike the Punisher, he has superpowers; but Moon Knight’s powers may come from his trauma, the dissociative identity disorder he struggles with, and Moon Knight’s best stories present the world through his eyes and leave readers wondering what was real and what who was not. As The punisher was an insider’s look at PTSD and survivor guilt, so Moon knight should be a weird and confusing insider’s take on Marc Spector’s struggles.

The Punisher was risky – and Moon Knight must be too

Of course, there were risks associated with Marvel Television’s approach to the Punisher. Frank Castle is a disturbing character to place at the center of any story, as he serves better as a foil for other heroes than he does as a stand-alone character – his morality works best when contrasted with that of a traditional superhero. Even the writers of The Punisher see him as a serial killer, not a superhero. But Marvel Television avoided a lot of criticism by making sure their show had something to say, even if doing so risked alienating viewers who didn’t like exactly what they were saying. They produced a series of remarkable boldness and confidence, and people couldn’t help but listen. It is, more than anything else, what makes The punisher one of the best Marvel Netflix TV series.

Marvel Studios must take the same approach with Moon Knight. Any (even slightly) accurate portrayal of Marc Spector in a comic book will be as disturbing as it is enjoyable, and rather than trying to sterilize, this Marvel should embrace him. They should seek to reproduce The punisher‘s, making sure their Disney + TV series has something to say about mental health, about supporting people with dissociative identity disorder, about the world we live in rather than the MCU. There are some promising signs; rumors about the appearance of the Hulk in Moon knight suggest that Marvel ally Spector with another hero who has battled some form of this disorder, given that the personalities of Hulk and Bruce Banner have always vied for control. If it is true that it would do Moon knight very unlike other Marvel Disney + shows, in reality, Disney + has the potential for more mature movies and TV shows, and it would be great to see Marvel Studios contribute to that.

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