2022 will be loaded with many superhero projects. But which one will be the darkest of them all – Moon Knight or The Batman?
Moon Knight: Addressing Topics Like Mental Illness
Marc Spector, who is the Moon Knight, suffers from various mental disorders. Chief amongst them is DID or Dissociative Identity Disorder. Several personalities live within Moon Knight’s head. Sometimes he is the New York taxi driver Jake Lockley. Other times he is rich boy billionaire Steve Grant. There are times Moon Knight gets so mentally sick that he forgets where reality ends and dreams begin. That is how he figured out that he is just a comic book character being colored and written by a group of artists and writers in the real world.
The Batman: The Villain
The Batman is being touted by many to be less about the titular hero and more about the bad guy. While we do not know if the claims are true, but the movie’s trailer put the ball in the Riddler’s court. The story will heavily depend on the portrayal of the Batman villain by Paul Dano. For the first time in a long time, we are not getting an absolute comic book villain caricature. Dano’s Riddler looks like he means business.
Moon Knight: A Lovechild Of Violence
The reason fans started to dislike recent Marvel Studios movies was because Disney made them play it safe. It was all about action sequences and family-friendly fun. That formula will not work on Moon Knight. The hero is essentially one of the darkest and grittiest vigilantes in the Marvel Comic Book Universe. There is no possibility of making it family-friendly. There will be blood and gore in the extremes. If recent MCU shows like WandaVision, Loki, and The Falcon & The Winter Soldier are any indication, Marvel is now experimenting within the superhero genre. Moon Knight will be a love child of pure violence.
The Batman: High Quality Source Material
Overall, Batman story arcs are much more fleshed out and acclaimed than Moon Knight’s. That is a given. The Batman is taking massive inspiration from many Batman story lines. But the one comic book arc that is central to the movie’s theme is Ego. The story of Ego is about Batman dealing with the classic Doctor Jekyll/Mister Hyde situation. The monster within wants to get out but Batman must keep it tamed and chained. The movie will show us the psychological turmoil of being the Batman and what drives him to wear the mask every night.
Moon Knight: Dive Into Territory Not Even DC Would
The Batman is violent for sure. But his stories come nowhere near to be as gritty as the Moon Knight’s. Marc Spector‘s mental condition is so unstable he forgets he is the hero of the story at times. He is also a very avid fan of ensuring his enemies fear him the next time they see him. From chopping limbs to send a message to carving a crescent on the enemy’s face while he screams in pain, Moon Knight has done it all.
The Batman: A More Layered Bruce Wayne
The Batman will also keep the focus on Bruce Wayne this time. The mission of ridding the world of all crime is a hefty task and it takes a toll on anyone, even the Batman. Robert Pattinson will be playing an immensely layered and complicated character, something not even Christopher Nolan was able to execute properly in his Dark Knight trilogy. How does a recluse and outcast of society become it’s greatest protector? Showcasing that journey will be intriguing.
Moon Knight: He Kills & He Loves It
Moon Knight loves torturing his foes. But it is not the thing he loves most. Moon knight revels in killing the bad guys. Batman has a no kill policy. Moon Knight has no such qualms about guns. He will kill you and he will do it with a pencil, John Wick style if he has to. This is a guy who threatens minors in order to make them stay in line. No matter how ultra-violent Batman gets, he can never be as unhinged as the Moon Knight.
The Batman: A True Crime Thriller
Unlike Moon knight, The Batman is not going to be a traditional superhero saving the day story. Matt reeves has already said that he is making The Batman into a crime thriller. Robert Pattinson’s Batman will not be saving the world this time. He will be doing what he does best – being the world’s greatest detective. Uncovering clues and hints and then using them to unravel deeper conspiracies is what Batman is known for. And the very direction of the story itself makes it so dark and disturbing.
Moon Knight: Possibility Of Other R-Rated Heroes Coming In
There are many heroes Moon Knight could be paving the way for to appear in the series. In the comics, he has partnered up with some real twisted dudes like Blade and even Deadpool. Both are now officially in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show could set the precedent for the eventual Midnight Sons project that is rumored to be in the works. That is a whole new ball game of creepy, dark territory.
The Batman: Combat
We have only had a glimpse with the Moon Knight teaser trailer. It looks great. But we are sure the show’s action scenes will not come close to the ones The Batman will have. Just take the trailer scene where Pattinson‘s Batman relentlessly pounds a thug. The visuals look stunning and compliment the dark tone the movie is utilizing. The Batman will terrify and shock us with its battle sequences.
