Moon Knight's Dark Future Confirms the Twisted Cost of Escaping Khonshu

When Marc Spector was given a second chance at life thanks to the moon god Khonshu, he became his eternally indebted servant as Moon Knight, but their relationship has become anything but positive over the years. Because of this, it's no surprise that Spector shed the presence of the Egyptian god when he finally got the chance, but the result of their separation was truly shocking.

Marvel's depiction of Moon Knight's relationship with Khonshu has varied over the years, with the ancient god suggested as everything from ally to abuser to a symptom of mental illness. However, what remains true is that he sees Marc Spector as a vessel of his will - one in a long and ancient line of Moon Knights who have served the god since humanity first worshiped the moon. Marc may have been given a second chance at life by Khonshu, but it is a life lived as the fist of a cruel and vengeful god.

In Moon Knight: Black, White and Blood #2's 'The Empty Tomb,'' by Benjamin Percy and Vanesa R. Del Rey, Marc Spector is desperate to rid himself of Khonshu for good, no matter what the consequences. Tired of the torture of Khonshu in his mind, constantly talking in Marc's head and using him to do his Godly bidding, he reaches out to Doctor Strange for a way to expel the Moon god for good. Despite warnings from Strange that following through with his plan might leave him as nothing more than a husk, Marc uses a mystic scarab to break his bond with Khonshu. As it turns out, the result is worse than even Strange could have predicted: Spector is left hospitalized in a catatonic state, unable to move or even speak coherently. Despite this, Marc is pleased with the result, happy to finally "enjoy the quiet."

The lengths that Marc went to in order to part with Khonshu, and the results, show just how devastating their deal has been for the Moon God's avatar. Despite knowing the risks, he chooses to go through with separating from Khonshu for good. Marc even admits that the decision is somewhat selfish, noting that his suffering has greatly lessened the suffering of others, and that he would have died a long time ago if not for Khonshu's interference. Even so, Marc has been so fully broken and abused by Khonshu he sees no other option. His conversation with Strange is especially heart-breaking. As he tells the sorcerer his plan, Stephen looks in his tired, bloodshot eyes and knows he can't be talked out of it.

In the end, Marc's decision to rid himself of Khonshu despite the devastating cost is one that all too many people can relate to. While this fictionalized world shows a man dealing with the despicable whims of a god, at its roots, it shows someone being broken by a serial abuser. Marvel giving fans a glimpse into this harrowing decision shows the toll it can take to lose one's sense of independence and agency, and how at his core, Marc Spector is willing to sacrifice everything but that freedom to finally end his career as the Moon Knight.

Elizabeth Olsen Speaks On Scarlet Witch Rumors

Fans are eager to learn if Elizabeth Olsen will be returning to the MCU as Scarlett Witch, and on June 28th, Olsen and her husband Robbie Arnett appeared on Good Morning America to promote their children's book Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective. The book is about a cat dealing with their first day of school and trying to have a good day.

While the couple did discuss their new creative collaboration, Olsen was also asked what she knows about playing Scarlet Witch again.

Fans are understandably eager to know if the Scarlet Witch will return to the MCU. In the GMA interview, Elizabeth Olsen was asked about the upcoming WandaVision spin-off Agatha: House of Harkness and also about playing Scarlet Witch in a stand-alone film. Olsen said, "I would love to be a part of both of those" and added, "No one tells me anything, and I'm not even hiding a secret because I'm bad at that. I know nothing about my future."

Elizabeth Olsen has played Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in several MCU movies: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2016), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and the latest, 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Fans also enjoyed seeing Olsen in the miniseries WandaVision. Although the show ended, Multiverse of Madness seems to set up a WandaVision season 2, which is interesting to think about.

Olsen has starred in many types of films over the course of her career, starting with her breakrole role in the 2011 film Martha Marcy May Marlene as a young woman escaping a cult and dealing with painful and terrible memories. Olsen then starred in the single-take horror movie Silent House, the comedy Peace, Love & Misunderstanding (2012), the sweet indie film Liberal Arts (2012), Very Good Girls (2014), Ingrid Goes West (2017), Wind River (2017), and Kodachrone (2017).

Olsen is also starring in the upcoming HBO Max miniseries Love and Death as Candy Montgomery. Olsen stars alongside Patrick Fuget and Jesse Plemons. According to the description on the IMDb page, the series is about "Two church going couples, enjoying small town family life in Texas, until somebody picks up an axe." The series, from David E. Kelly, is about the real life friendship between Candy Montgomery and Betty Gore and Candy's decision to murder Betty.

Baz Luhrmann's Australia To Be Re-Edited Into Hulu Miniseries

Baz Luhrmann's 2008 film Australia is set to be re-edited into a Hulu miniseries. The film is an epic drama starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, and follows a couple brought together in northern Australia during the Second World War. While Australia received mixed reviews from critics, with many praising the film's cinematography but finding the script lacking, the project still grossed $211 million worldwide. Similar to many other Luhrmann films, Australia found better box office success overseas than in the United States, particularly in the director's home country the film is based on.

In a statement from Luhrmann via THR, it has been revealed that Australia will now be made into a six-part miniseries, titled Faraway Downs. The miniseries will be comprised solely of existing footage from the original film, but re-edited with a new ending and updated soundtrack. Faraway Downs will be a reimagining of Australia, also using never-before-seen footage to expand on the existing film. The series is set to release this winter, and will premiere on Hulu in the United States, and Disney+ and Star+ internationally. Read Luhrmann's full statement below:

“I originally set out to take the notion of the sweeping, Gone With the Wind-style epic and turn it on its head — a way of using romance and epic drama to shine a light on the roles of First Nations people and the painful scar in Australian history of the ‘Stolen Generations.’ While Australia the film has its own life, there was another telling of this story; one with different layers, nuances and even alternative plot twists that an episodic format has allowed us to explore. Drawn from the same material, Faraway Downs is a new variation on Australia for audiences to discover.”

With Australia coming in at a runtime of 2 hours and 45 minutes, there is no shortage of existing footage to be re-worked for Faraway Downs. When Australia was released in 2008, Luhrmann said that he had filmed three separate endings. Given these alternate finales, along with any other deleted scenes from the final cut, there is clearly plenty of extra footage available for the upcoming miniseries to find its own new ending. Luhrmann's comments about Australia's First Nations people and the country's Stolen Generation of Aboriginal children indiciate that the new series will aim to further explore themes of the historical trauma experienced by Indigenous Australians through to the modern day, which many found to be lacking in Australia. Now that Lurhmann's recent Elvis biopic has hit screens, the director's work on Faraway Downs is likely to begin soon.

Antonio Banderas To Star In New Thriller The Last Girl

Academy Award-nominated actor and Zorro franchise star Antonio Banderas is set to lead the upcoming crime thriller The Last Girl. The film is being hemled by prolific director Jon Keeyes. The director recently collaborated with Banderas on the action film Code Name Banshee, which is being released in select theaters and on demand this week on July 1st. Also starring in The Last Girl, penned by Charles Burnley, is Bombshell and Star Trek Into Darkness actress Alice Eve.

According to Deadline, Banderas has been cast in a lead role in The Last Girl. The report outlines that Eve plays a private investigator forced into a dangerous alliance with a killer. The young investigator aims to "uncover a quiet town’s grisly criminal underbelly and clear the name of her mentor," played by Banderas, who is implicated in criminal activity. Filming is currently set to begin on The Last Girl sometime this summer in Ireland. Eve and Banderas will also be joined in the cast by Shelley Hennig, who is known for MTV's Teen Wolf series, and the horror film Unfriended. Jordan Yale Levine, Jordan Beckerman, and Michael J. Rothstein are producing The Last Girl. This team, along with Keeyes, are also producing the recently announced Samuel L. Jackson film The Kill Room.

Banderas' career spans several decades and the actor has appeared in many modern classics, such as Interview With the Vampire, Philadelphia and Desperado. The actor notably lent his voice to the character of Puss in Boots for the Shrek film franchise, before earning his own solo film as the titular character in 2011. Banderas has also recently joined the ranks of the iconic Harrison Ford-led film saga in Indiana Jones 5, which is due to release in summer 2023. Amid Banderas' largely action and adventure-driven film background, The Last Girl marks a departure from the actor's usual roles as he takes on a darker, grittier character. As such, the film seems poised to become one to watch for Banderas fans everywhere.

Marvel's Perfect MCU X-Men Debut Avoids Eternals' Worst Mistake

Marvel’s introduction of the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe should avoid the mistakes of Eternals (2021) by giving viewers a mutant Disney+ series, instead of another film. Since the acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney, mutants and the X-Men have been on the cards for Marvel Studios, even mentioned by Kevin Feige, but no details of their introduction into the MCU have yet been released. While an X-Men film seems the likely candidate to introduce them to the MCU, it would be better to start their stories in a Disney+ series.

Audiences have wanted to see the X-Men interact with established MCU characters for years, with their dreams getting one step closer to reality in 2019 after Disney bought back the rights to the characters. But since then, practically no information has been released about when mutants might be introduced into the MCU, who will be cast as which X-Men characters, or how the studio will blend such a massive narrative with a rich history into the already fleshed-out world of the Avengers. At San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, Marvel chief Kevin Feige mentioned that a project involving the mutants was in the works, so now it could be just around the corner, and the opportunity is there for Marvel to avoid previous mistakes.

X-Men films of the past, while helping to revitalize the superhero genre, failed to showcase the individual stories of each character to a depth that audiences wanted to see. Characters such as Rogue, Scott Summers, and Gambit were pushed aside to save space for the likes of Wolverine, Professor X, and Magneto. If Marvel Studios were to introduce the mutant X-Men in yet another film, the same mistakes could be repeated. The use of too many characters in one story would complicate the narrative and confuse audiences – a mistake demonstrated by Eternals (2021), where Marvel tried to introduce all 10 new superheroes, meaning that none got the development they needed. This problem could be solved through the medium of a Disney+ series.

If each of the central members of the X-Men had a dedicated character-focused episode in a Disney+ series, their origin stories could be far better developed without other distractions muddying the waters. Audiences would get a clearer insight into the background of these mutants, becoming better acquainted with each one and paving the way for a potential team-up film or even a team-up in the finale of the series, akin to What If…. Marvel Studios would be well advised to deliver episodes exploring each character’s strengths and abilities, laying the groundwork before bringing them together. This is a formula proven to work as far back as Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ending with The Avengers. As the Disney+ series’ have budgets similar to that of MCU films, the cinematic themes and special effects that go hand-in-hand with these characters wouldn’t be lost in an X-Men series either.

A Disney+ series would allow characters to be better developed and would give audiences a better pay-off when they are brought together in a crossover event. Marvel Studios should learn from the mistakes of the past and give fans the X-Men stories they’ve always desired with well-developed characters and strong backstories. Whether Marvel Studios releases a film based on the mutants or a Disney+ series delving deeper into their individual stories, it surely won’t be too much longer until the X-Men find their home in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Moon Knight: Did The MCU Pick The Right Tone?

Movies based around Marvel Comics used to come from a variety of sources, owned by many different companies and completely unaffected by each other. One by one, every limb of Marvel's on-screen presence has been killed or assimilated into the unending growth of the unstoppable Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Unfortunately, as detractors have pointed out for over a decade, the MCU has trouble differentiating its works in terms of tone. Their stories feel distinct and different, but, as crossover becomes more key to the franchise, less deviation from the cultural hegemony is tolerated. Unfortunately, the MCU's specific tone doesn't fit every work equally.

Moon Knight season one is out and fans are intensely divided. Most have praised Oscar Isaac's performance and elements of the writing, while others have derided the show as too similar to its peers. Some of the harshest criticism has come from hardcore fans of the source material, who were incensed at the series' many substantial changes. The treatment of the Mr. Knight personality was considered particularly offensive to some. The series' marketing is a substantial culprit in this backlash, as the early trailers and posters seemed to be selling a much darker show than the one fans saw. Looking at the comic books that inspired the series does raise some questions about the series' take on the character.

Fans of the Moon Knight comics likely went into the series expecting to see their hero crush criminals and cultists in gory action scenes while swapping through multiple personalities. The story they got focused far more heavily on globe-trotting adventure, comedic bickering, and battles between CGI monsters. The most violent moments took place out of costume and were often skipped over with the series' blackout gimmick. Elements of its presentation seemed deliberately designed to bait and switch comic book fans. Mr. Knight looks note-perfect but acts as a British comic relief character that is almost the exact opposite of the source material. Every time the series seems prepared to let Marc off the leash against a non-CGI foe, it's edited out to preserve the all-important family-friendly presentation.

The most distracting element of this blatant compromise with Disney's squeaky-clean image is the way that it handles Marc's mental state. The depiction of trauma and recovery is often chilling. Kids probably won't feel much when exposed to the heavily cut-down violence, but it's hard to imagine one being unaffected by the flashbacks in the later episodes. The dissociative identity disorder storyline that is extremely central to Marc Spector's character is handled with a great deal of maturity most of the time.

The series occasionally gives in to the MCU's biggest dialogue issue by undercutting its crushing melodrama with a gag, but it's mostly played straight. Watching Marc deal with the possibility that he may have been in a mental institution the entire time is haunting in a way that does not gel with clumsily boxing against CGI jackal beasts. Each of these elements would be fine on its own. Moon Knight feels like the tale of two series in a way that often detracts from both. Moon Knight's Egyptian mythology takes on the standard superhero action film and Marc's psychological horror duel with guilt and madness cannot easily coexist.

This is not to say that Moon Knight's narrative, nor any particular narrative, would be substantially improved by gallons of blood. This isn't an issue of MPAA ratings, it's an issue of consistent tone. The fate of the world battle against an all-powerful crocodile woman fails to feel sincere when it's placed alongside Marc's personal drama. Often one or the other feels tacked on to make both sell. The worst aspect of this problem is that Marvel used to understand how to handle this type of narrative.

Imagine Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, or The Punisher with the stakes, tone, or framing of Moon Knight's action beats. The Marvel Netflix series took a sincere hand with real issues and set their action setpieces to match. The Punisher introduced a purpose to the character while letting Frank blast his way through criminals as always. Daredevil used martial arts action alongside legal procedural drama and neither ever felt out of place. The way Daredevil handled its action scenes, with grimy backdrops, semi-realistic blood, and intensely personal stakes would've perfectly fit the tale of Marc Spector. Those series were technically part of the MCU, but they were always treated as a different wing of the same reality. Every time a character from The Defenders franchise pops up, they feel wildly out of place in the MCU. Marvel has only grown less experimental over the years, sacrificing variety to avoid even the slightest risk.

Moon Knight handles its elements well, but there is always a discordant record scratch as it shifts between its radically different tones. The character would've fared better in Netflix's take on the Marvel Universe and Disney would do well to broaden its horizon.

John Wick 4 & 5 Can Perfectly Revive One Forgotten Action Movie Trend

John Wick: Chapter 4 and John Wick: Chapter 5 can bring back an action movie trend that’s fallen by the wayside. John Wick 4's battle with the High Table will bring Keanu Reeves’ famed assassin anti-hero back into action, with all of the stunt work and martial arts fans have come to love from the franchise. However, there’s one type of action that John Wick has never cashed in on, and which the upcoming sequels are more than prepped to.

Specifically, the discipline of parkour would fit in perfectly with John Wick’s style of grounded but very physically astonishing action. Created in France by David Belle, parkour is a methodology of movement in which the practitioner, or “traceur”, navigates their environment in the most economical way possible. After being utilized here and there in action movies, parkour really caught on with the District 13 films. Being viewed as a cousin of sorts to more traditional martial arts seen in John Wick and other action films, parkour gained international recognition from the District 13 movies. Co-starring David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli of Kiss of the Dragon, District 13 and its sequel District 13: Ultimatum were packed with stunt-filled parkour foot chases like the world had never seen. Parkour quickly gained traction in action films, and would be featured in movies like Casino Royale, Live Free or Die Hard, The Tournament, Bodyguards and Assassins, and others.

Parkour has not been as prominently utilized in action films in recent years, and the John Wick franchise could be the perfect place for it to make a comeback. With stunt performers from the 87 Eleven group on board and stunt veterans like David Leitch (on the first John Wick) and Chad Stahelski directing, the John Wick movies do virtually every shade of action extremely well. In particular, the John Wick series elevated martial arts films as a whole.

With John’s skills in Judo and his opponents and allies bringing many different martial arts disciplines to the table, John Wick’s fight scenes are extremely finessed and diverse. Parkour has often been worked in as a complementary element to fight scenes in movies where it has been used, and even blended with them in numerous instances. John Wick 4 or John Wick 5 doing the same could be a parkour showcase that hasn’t been seen in a long time.

As seen in the John Wick 4 trailer displayed for 2022's Cinema Con, the movie is continuing the franchise’s endeavor to outdo itself, with descriptions including John wielding a pair of nunchaku. In both John Wick: Chapter 4 and John Wick: Chapter 5, Stahelski, Keanu Reeves, and all involved are, by all outward appearances, striving to keep evolving the John Wick franchise's action. Adding some parkour stunts and chases might well be the next such frontier for the Baba Yaga.

Endgame Directors Reveal The Other Marvel Hero Chris Evans Could Play

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo reveal which Marvel character Chris Evans can play if he returns to the MCU. The filmmakers are veterans in the franchise, having directed four films in total, including two Captain America movies. Alongside writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, they also helmed the last two Avengers installments, which wrapped up the Infinity Saga in acclaimed fashion.

In all of their MCU projects, the Russo brothers worked with Evans. After Avengers: Endgame, they have reunited with him outside the Marvel superhero franchise through Netflix's The Gray Man. Instead of the principled hero in Captain America that the actor is known for, Evans is playing psychopathic CIA agent Lloyd Hansen leading the hunt for Ryan Gosling's maligned mercenary. While the jury is still out about the Russos and Evans' new collaborative work, their team-ups in the MCU have been tried and tested. No wonder there's a clamor to see either or both of them working with Marvel Studios again.

In a new interview with ComicBook.com, the Russos are asked which Marvel hero they would like to see Evans play if he ever re-enters the MCU. Joe Russo says Wolverine, which Anthony supports. Read the rest of Joe's explanation of why Evans would make a great version of the Canadian mutant below:

"Evans has incredible range and great physicality, and he's real good at body control. He's an incredible actor. I don't mean this in a bad way, but he's nothing like Captain America. Steve Rogers is very controlled and quiet, understated. Chris is energetic and funny and charismatic, and he brings a lot of energy to set. I'd love to see him do something like Wolverine."

Rumors of Evans returning to the MCU have popped up several times since he exited the franchise after Avengers: Endgame. However, the idea has always just been to reprise his role as Steve Rogers. Recently, the actor commented on this, saying that it would be a tall order to revisit the character, especially considering his well-crafted ending in the 2019 blockbuster. On top of that, he's also supportive of Anthony Mackie's new Captain America. He, however, is more open to playing Fantastic Four's Johnny Storm through Marvel's burgeoning multiverse, having played the character previously in pre-MCU movies. Because Evans appears to be more receptive to potentially playing a different Marvel character, perhaps doing Wolverine isn't exactly a farfetched concept.

Aside from Evans, the Russos have also been subjected to MCU return rumors since wrapping up their work in the franchise. There have been persistent claims that they are helming a Marvel Studios Secret Wars movie, potentially the franchise's next big crossover project. That makes sense, considering what they were able to do with the ensemble casts of Infinity War and Endgame. For what it's worth, seeing the directors lead another MCU film is more plausible than Evans coming back as Steve Rogers. But, perhaps the actor would consider the idea of playing Wolverine if the Russos are involved - as long as it wouldn't be another long-term thing.

The Batman’s Spin-Off Series Could Be A Big Mistake

Many say that television is in a golden age right now, where it is just as high-budget as the film industry, and just as respected. TV shows are a great way to tell an extended story that wouldn't fit into the time constraints of a film, which is why many franchises — like Marvel, Star Wars, and DC — are branching out into the television world as well. It gives them a chance to expand on storylines and characters that they simply didn't have time for in the main films.

Matt Reeves, director of The Batman, has mentioned in the past that the plan was always to have spin-off TV shows that would expand the story that begins in The Batman. The idea was to explore more of the world without necessarily needing to have Batman at the center of all of it. So far, they've planned to do a show about the Penguin (with Colin Farrell attached), a series centered around the Gotham Police Department, a show about the infamous Arkham Asylum, and a series about Catwoman — though some of these ideas are just in the developmental stage or were put on hold at some point. With so many opportunities to expand the story of The Batman into the world of TV, it seems almost certain that DC will be taking advantage of it. But is this the right move?

This trend of franchises tying TV shows into their movie canon has been hotly debated as of late. It has worked fairly well for Marvel and Star Wars in a sense, because it has allowed them to elaborate on the stories of characters that were otherwise put to the wayside. And from a business standpoint, it obviously makes sense as another form of revenue. However, these franchises have been criticized for overstuffing their narratives with all of these TV shows, which can the franchises very difficult to follow.

At this point, it would be nearly impossible to get into the MCU without watching most of the main films as well as all of the TV shows that have been released so far. A new audience member couldn't really go into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness without first having seen WandaVision at the very least, because of how directly the two stories tie into each other. Likewise, Star Wars keeps calling back to its previous properties like the Clone Wars TV show in their new series, which means that in order to fully understand every reference and character cameo, one has to have seen that series as well.

In general, the overall story of a cinematic universe can feel cheap and bloated when it has been expanded upon too much. Sometimes less is more, because otherwise, fans will get quickly fatigued with the amount of content, no matter the quality. This is the danger that The Batman might run into if they truly make as many spinoff series as they plan to. One spin-off series might be fine, as the movie was so successful and fans are obviously clamoring for more, but making too many is just going to make the story incredibly hard to keep up with, and they might lose casual fans in the process.

Part of the beauty of The Batman is that it is unconnected from the other current DC film properties, and is allowed to exist on its own. This doesn't mean that it can't have sequels or spin-offs, but with too many spin-offs, it runs the risk of becoming its own extended cinematic universe, which just creates the problem that it had managed to avoid in the first place. It makes the story and the movie itself much more special and memorable if it isn't clouded by a thousand other storylines that all need to tie together in order to rope the movie canon in with the TV one.

To have at least two and possibly even three spinoffs in the works at the same time, when the movie has only just recently found its footing, seems like a bit of a gamble, and fans might find that they've been given too much of a good thing. With so many other versions of the character out there, the last thing DC should want to do is give fans Batman fatigue, especially after the excitement about Matt Reeves' fresh take on the Dark Knight.

The Batman seems to be taking lessons from Star Wars and Marvel as far as the benefits of making TV shows based on movie franchises go. However, they should also take notes on the drawbacks that those studios have faced and take a more careful approach to their own content. It would be a real shame to feel burnt out on The Batman content so soon, and if all of these shows become a reality, it's a big possibility that they could overshadow the success and critical reception of the film, especially if they're not up to par. It might be a better idea for them to take the "less is more" approach and try to prioritize the storytelling in the film part of the franchise before anything else.