When it comes to Marvel Studios’ Disney+ shows, Kevin Feige and his massive ensemble of directors, writers, producers and actors have all managed to bring something different to the table, whether it is in terms of tone, genre, or story. With Moon Knight arriving imminently, the series will bring both a new supernatural element to the MCU, boundary-pushing levels of violence, and consistently longer episode runtimes than other Marvel series. Executive producer Grant Curtis recently explained why it was essential to notch up the episode length a little to tell the story they have to tell.
Moon Knight will see Oscar Isaac take on the role of Marc Spector and his many aliases, including Steven Grant and Mr. Knight. The character will be seen struggling with his dissociative identity disorder through his journey to become Moon Knight and find his place in the MCU’s hero lineup. Of course, when dealing with a subject that requires a lot of development, it requires time, and that is something that Moon Knight has, as while the series is only six episodes long, each of those episodes clocks in around 50 minutes. While speaking to Collider, Curtis explained that the character’s complex history dictated the episode lengths. He said:
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“From what you know about this amazing character that goes back to 1975 in Werewolf By Night and then 1980, for his own series, over the years, over the decades, there’s so many complex storylines that we were able to choose from. So many complex themes to choose from that we really had trouble containing ourselves to 45 minutes, give or take, per episode. Because what the writers and pencilers and artists were able to do over the years was mesmerizing and entertaining, and it presented a very rich, complex character. And the real challenge of this was not what to add but, sadly, what to take away. And, the beauty of that is all that stuff still remains, and then some, with this character, that I think the fans are gonna enjoy this ride that we take them on and they’re gonna want to see more.”
Marvel Studios is Still Playing With the Format of its Disney+ Series
When Disney+ launched the first MCU TV series, WandaVision, everyone was told to expect something experimental and to stick with it. Those that did were given a very intimate look at grief, were treated to a more in-depth explanation of Wanda Maximoff’s history, and were given an epic finale in which Wanda became Scarlet Witch and set up her appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Since then, Marvel has constantly played with the format and the length of their shows, allowing the story to dictate the technical aspects.
Of course, that is one of the most freeing things about streaming instead of network TV. In the past, if anyone wanted to put out a show on TV, it had to conform to certain rules of length and content. The advent of streaming has allowed more exploration of what a show can be when those rules no longer apply. This has led to episode lengths being altered from episode to episode depending on how much story there is to tell, with some series, such as Netflix’s Black Summer, including episodes of 50 minutes and others of less than 20 minutes. While Marvel has not gone to those extremes, they have seen their episode run times range from 30 to 45 minutes, with some slightly lengthier final episodes.
While Moon Knight may be returning to almost regular TV-length episodes of 50 minutes, over its six episodes, the total runtime of the show will be in line with other series such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki. However, the new series will also continue to see Marvel experimenting with what does and doesn’t work in the television format, with Moon Knight set to bring darker times to the MCU.
