Moon Knight Super Bowl Trailer Breakdown: Embrace The Chaos
While the game isn't over yet as of publication, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have already won the Super Bowl. In addition to the absolutely bonkers trailer for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," a new look at the upcoming Disney+ series "Moon Knight" starring Oscar Isaac dropped as well. Though it's only 30 seconds long, there are still some awesome things in it. As the saying goes, big things come in small packages. Let's break it down.
I Hear Voices In My Head
At the top of the Big Game spot, we hear the familiar voiceover from Isaac's mild-mannered gift-shop employee Steven Grant saying that he can't tell the difference between his waking life and dreams. But instead of the same shots we saw in the first trailer, there's a new look at the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. We only see the deity from the neck down, but Steven still doesn't seem all that stoked to be in his presence. Also, does the object in his hand have significance? Is this the source of Moon Knight's powers? Or could it be a relic that could help Steven solve the deadly mystery that he becomes wrapped up in? Or is it just a gold-covered turtle? It could be any of those things! (But probably not that last thing.)
Following the reminder that the show premieres next month, we see more of Ethan Hawke's Arthur Harrow as he interacts with Steven. Like something out of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Harrow shows off a tattoo of scales on his forearm that ... moves. It definitely looks as though he doesn't know what to make of this cult leader-like individual. Then, in an empathetic and manipulative tone, Harrow says, "It must be very difficult, the voices in your head. There's chaos in you. Embrace it."
That's when things break down a bit. Harrow and Grant appear to be at the ancient pyramids of Egypt. Harrow uses some kind of mystical staff to produce purple lightning that escapes through the top of the pyramid and into the sky. Just as Steven has a connection to the powerful gods of Egypt, Harrow appears to have one as well.
When Harrow says, "Embrace it," Moon Knight leaps into action. In probably the coolest shot of the short spot, Moon Knight's cape is flung out into the shape of a crescent moon as he descends upon armed adversaries. Then it cuts to another cool shot of Moon Knight catching one of his moon-shaped weapons in front of a church. It all ends with the hero jumping from rooftop to rooftop as his trajectory turns into the Disney+ logo.
One element of the story that the trailers haven't touched on yet is Steven Grant's dissociative identity disorder. While we see Moon Knight doing all these cool things, it's unclear whether Steven is in the driver's seat in these moments or if mercenary Marc Spector has taken over their body by this point (Moon Knight has a, uh, weird backstory). While it's fun to speculate, we're sure to get more concrete answers once the six-episode series drops next month.
"Moon Knight" premieres on Disney+ on March 30, 2022.