Moon Knight rating: Why some Marvel fans may be disappointed
Moon Knight is one of Marvel’s darkest shows to date, but what does that really mean?
Marvel is entering into new territory with Moon Knight. The upcoming Disney+ series will not only explore the mind of a hero who has never been brought to life on-screen before, but it’ll also serve as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first psychological thriller. Notably, early Moon Knight trailers have also sold it as one of Marvel Studios’ darkest and most brutal projects to date.
That doesn't come as much of a surprise for those familiar with the Moon Knight character from the comics. However, Moon Knight’s darker tone does raise some interesting questions heading into its premiere — namely, what will it be rated?
Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector talking to one of his alternate selves in Moon Knight.
Moon Knight’s Rating — In an interview with Empire Magazine earlier this year, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige teased that Moon Knight is a “different thing” for the MCU. “He’s brutal,” Feige said about Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector, who assumes the show’s titular vigilante mantle. Feige subsequently added that “it’s been fun to work with Disney+ and see the boundaries shifting on what we’re able to do.”
Since then, there has been talk about how dark Marvel will get with Moon Knight. Thankfully, we have a much better idea now of what to expect from the series.
Ahead of its premiere on March 30, Moon Knight has been assigned a TV-14 rating on Disney+. For context, that’s the same rating WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, and Loki all received last year.
Therefore, Moon Knight’s rating suggests it won’t be much darker than Marvel’s previous live-action Disney+ titles. That also means it won’t be nearly as dark as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, The Punisher, or any of Marvel’s other Netflix shows, all of which have been assigned TV-MA ratings on Disney+.
Moon Knight probably won’t be as dark as fans think.
The Inverse Analysis — To some Marvel fans and die-hard comic book readers, Moon Knight’s rating may come as a disappointing update. However, both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier proved that Marvel can go to some dark emotional places in its TV-14 shows.
Taking that into account, there’s no reason to believe Moon Knight won’t be as emotionally dark or psychologically trippy as fans are hoping it will be. If anything, this just means that they shouldn’t expect Moon Knight to be quite as violent or boundary-pushing as Daredevil or Jessica Jones are — no matter how “brutal” Kevin Feige says it is.
Moon Knight begins streaming Wednesday, March 30 on Disney+.
