The latestMarvelseries to hit Disney Plus has officially reached its halfway point. Like its predecessors,The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki,andHawkeye,Moon Knightwill also only have six episodes in its premiere season. In its current three-episode span,Moon Knighthas already begun to tread into uncharted territory within the MCU. Despite its insurmountable differences, the Oscar Isaac-led series has something else in common with one of its predecessors.
Moon Knighthas delivered some ofMarvel’sfirsts. Most notably among them istheir first unreliable narrator. The relationship between Steven Grant and Marc Spector has caused rifts in the lives of both men, as they struggle to see eye-to-eye in their conjoined journey to serve Khonshu. The moments between them have led to some incredibly comedic and memorable moments inMoon Knightthus far. This budding bond between Steven and Marc is physically unlike anything the MCU has had thus far, but the nature of their relationship is actually quite familiar.
RELATED:Moon Knight Featurette Shows How Egypt Inspired The Disney Plus Series
Marc and Steven have been butting heads long before Steven even realized what was happening to him. Theearly episodes ofMoon Knightlet Steven grasp the nature of his link to Marc, and while he has yet to fully accept what the two of them must accomplish together, it is gradually getting better. Since becoming aware of Marc’s presence and ability to shut him out, Steven has begun to resist and challenge Marc, making the orders from Khonshu even more difficult to carry out. The dynamic between Steve and Marc is quite similar to the relationship between Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes.
Sam and Bucky were first pushed together inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, where Sam was not-so-subtly recruited to assist Steve in his journey to find and save Bucky from the clutches of Alexander Pierce and Hydra. Their relationship continued to steadily evolve over the course ofCaptain America: Civil War,where viewers got the first glimpse of them as a duo. This would continue throughout theAvengersfilms that followed, as well as their Disney Plus series,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. In it, they were forced to put their trust inan unlikely ally in Baron Zemo, which Sam routinely opposed. Sam’s feelings toward Zemo mirror Steven’s feelings toward Khonshu and the violent mission that he’s being forced to go along with.
The personalities of Steven and Marc also align with Sam and Bucky’s. Steven is much like Sam. He is far more jovial than his partner and tries to do the right thing by the book. Even if the path Steven and Sam choose requires more resistance, these two find comfort in knowing they are playing by the rules. Marc isthe stern, Bucky-like characterof the two. He plays his cards close to his chest and finds himself devoted to serving a specific cause and purpose. Marc and Bucky are not ones for wearing their hearts on their sleeve, which can be seen in Marc’s relationship with Layla and Bucky’s struggles in therapy and pursuing a romantic connection.
The similarities betweenMoon KnightandThe Falcon and the Winter Soldiercan go on. The organizations that the unorthodox duos are struggling to fight against, both believe they areadvocating for a cause that will save lives. Those they lose along the way are deemed a necessary sacrifice to accomplish their goal. Arthur Harrow is much like Karli Morgenthau in that regard. Khonshu’s somewhat sarcastic demeanor mirrors that of Baron Zemo, who Sam and Bucky were forced to rely on in the series. While Steven is the most apprehensive to support Khonshu’s cause, Marc has demonstrated reservations of his own.
The MCU has delivered a number of formidable duos, and the Disney Plus series has continued that trend.Lokibirthed several between Loki, Sylvie, Morbius, Ravonna, Hunter B-15, and Miss Minutes.Hawkeyebegana mentor and apprentice-style relationshipbetween Clint Barton and Kate Bishop, which naturally caused problems for them both.The Falcon and the Winter Soldierwas built around the nature of Sam and Bucky’s relationship, which had experienced several bumps prior to those they had in the series. WhileMoon Knighthas not shown the bumps Marc and Steven have experienced prior to the start of the series, the repercussions of Marc’s previous actions are catching up to them.
Steven and Marc will continue to develop their relationship overMoon Knight’sremaining episodes. Given the circumstances of Steven and Marc’s existence within the same body, their relationship can’t follow the paths set by any of the previous Marvel duos. It’s a unique situation that whilesimilar to Sam and Bucky’s, will embark on its own path. As time passes, Steven is no longer treating Marc like a disease that needs to be eliminated. Whether Steven realizes it or not, he’s actually making a friend out of both Marc and Layla. InThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam and Bucky were reluctant to consider one another in the same way they regarded Steve, but by the end of the series, they had become more than mere friends. Steven and Marc can do the same by the timeMoon Knightdraws to a close.
