Marvelhas introduced dozens of antagonists to the screen, some of which are beloved and groundbreaking characters. Though the days of every new enemy falling short are now over, their newest big bad is falling into an all too common Marvel standard.Moon Knightis two episodes in, and while it clearly does things differently from its franchise-mates, most seem to agree that it doesn’t change up the formula enough. There’s some creativity on display and some interesting choices being made, but a savvy viewer can see how much of the content is classic MCU with some new tricks thrown on top for flavor.
Arthur Harrow was introducedinto the Marvel Comics universe in 1985, created by Alan Zelenetz and Chris Warner. He’s not the most complex character in his initial source material, nor is he particularly similar to his on-screen counterpart. In the comics, he was a surgeon and scientist who performed unethical experiments on unsuspecting innocents. Harrow suffered from debilitating facial paralysis, which left him in horrible pain most of the time. In order to cure his own ailment, he sought data from Nazi concentration camps and continued their nightmarish experiments. After winning a Nobel Prize for his work, Moon Knight and Dr. Victoria Grail set to work stopping him.Moon Knight uncovered hisgrim work, but Harrow escaped to Paraguay, never to be heard from again.
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Abandoning almost every element of the comics' character of Harrow, the MCU’s take is a celebrated mystic, beloved communityfigure, and cult leader. He now works as an avatar of the vengeful god Ammit, leading a massive network of devoted soldiers in the quest to awaken and unleash her upon the world. Ammit’s philosophy is one of utilitarian pre-justice. She is seemingly able to weigh all that a person has done or ever will do, and if she judges that their sins will outweigh their good deeds, they are slain. Harrow was once an avatar of Khonshu but has grown to see his vengeance quest as a half-measure. He now seeks to mete out Ammit’s will and easily leads a massive cult of desperate people who agree with him.He’s a fascinating character, but unlike a lot of other comic book villains, it’s the performance that lifts the text.
Harrow isportrayed by Ethan Hawke, who brings a remarkable David Koresh flair to the character. He’s solid in the role, simultaneously charismatic and off-putting. He’s deeply threatening when he intends to be, but it’s clear to see why his flock follows him. Harrow isn’t a physical threat, and Hawke doesn’t portray him that way. He doesn’t really fight, so much as he wields seemingly immense magical power to do the combat for him. What makes him interesting isn’t often the focus of the show. In the world of the MCU, magic and sci-fi concepts have rapidly become common, so the idea of a doomsday cult arising in that alternate reality is a fascinating one. Unfortunately, Harrow is mostly there to threaten Steven Grant and to fill the typical Marvel villain role before the big threat that Moon Knight can punch reveals itself.
The problem with Harrow is his motivation. He’s convinced that he’s doing the right thing because his personal logical fallacy leads him to believe that killing innocent people is the way to save the world. As a former Fist of Khonshu, he’s the dark reflection of the protagonist, which is extremely common in comic books and their film adaptations. He’s another Thanos by way of another Obadiah Stane. There’s no unique nuance to his motivation; he just thinks that killing off a huge swath of the population will make life better for everyone else.
Arthur Harrow might have more going on behind his pacifying smile and cool tattoo, but he’s made his motivation pretty clear. The MCU has a few stock villain narratives that it’s been known to fall back on, and it’s a shame to see such a good performance weakened by falling into one of them. Harrow might be a goodversion of the righteous villain, but that doesn’t change the fact that fans have seen most of what he’s bringing before. The MCU needs to start seeking out new and interesting character motivations, or risk every hero going up against the same arguments time and time again.
