The first episode ofDisney+original seriesMoon Knight, which is set in the MCU’s shared continuity, was released with amassively positive reception. Fans seemingly love Oscar Isaac’s troubled and mysterious yet intriguing take on thecult vigilante. The show also introduced Ethan Hawke’s Arthur Harrow, who already lets the audience know of his evil and corrupt nature. However, at least for now, there is no telling where precisely in the vast timeline Moon Knight istaking place. It’s not just the audience — director Mohamed Diab, who also serves as the executive producer, has no idea of the show’s place in the timeline.
While talking to Hector Navarro ofNerdist, Mohamed Diab revealed how he feels aboutMoon Knightas mostly an independent entry in the MCU, with no certainty on the show’s actual spot in the timeline. Upon being asked about his take onMoon Knight’splace in the continuity, the director replied:
One of the best things about the show is, it feels like a standalone project.
Mohamed Diab, however, confirmed that the studio earlier hadplanned for some direct easter eggs and referencesto the other MCU projects that could havefurther made a connectionbetween the show and other existing stories in the continuity. Diab said:
That wasn’t the case in the beginning. The case, in the beginning, was [that] there was some crossovers, small, small Marvel stuff. But as it progressed, as we saw the cuts, as we finished the show, it felt [that] you know, [it] doesn’t need anything else. Let’s even cut any easter eggs. This stands on its own.
The director further urged the audience to understandMoon Knight’splace and significance in the continuity on their own and help the character set its own grounds in the vast cinematic universe of superheroes.
When DoesMoon KnightReally Take Place?
The 32nd entry in theMarvel Cinematic Universe(which now includesdirect tie-ins from Disney+ originals) is a part of Phase Four of the franchise, and the MCU has gone into telling stories that are currently taking place in a time after the Avengers reversed the Blip in 2023. The only film in Phase Four set beforeEndgameisBlack Widow, which also sets upHawkeyein the post-credits sequence. Though the director or Feige has not confirmed the exact time spot forMoon Knightin the franchise, a reference seen in the trailers suggests that the show is definitely set afterEndgameand could be taking place somewhere around the events ofThe Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
In the trailers, fans spotted a GRC ad on a bus, in front of which stands Moon Knight, fully suited in his mystical suit. The GRC, Global Repatriation Council, is an organization featured inThe Falcon and The Winter Soldier, whose bureaucratic ideas to reset the political landscape in the world led Flag Smashers to wage an all-out war on politics. The ad could either mean thatMoon Knightis sandwiched betweenEndgameandThe Falcon and The Winter Soldier; or is taking place after the latter, wherein the GRC has changed its agenda and work ethics on the suggestion of the new Captain America.
The show has earlier said to tease other Marvel characters in the coming episodes. And even if Mohamed Diab has removed the easter eggs and references from the show’s final cut, there can’t be any denying the fact that the show will factor in the coming films and television productions from Marvel Studios. In the interview, Diab confirmed that they had:
We had a date. We had a year. But the Marvel show is so complex. I am just not going to say [anything] because it doesn’t matter now.
Diab has earlier said he wishes tosee Moon Knight in the MCU in the next decadeand Feige has confirmed the character’s involvement in the future.Moon Knightstill has five more episodes to go, and they could deepen the show’s connection to the franchise as theymove in weird directionsit has teased. But given the kind of story it is promising within its first episode, we can expect the best even if, as Diab said, the show stands tall alone.
