When Marvel Studios brought the absolute spectacle that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe to streaming television, they went large right out of the gate. From WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to Loki and Hawkeye, there were plenty of captivating projects starring some of our favorite MCU characters. But one of the most exciting aspects of this new era was the prospect of exploring new territories and introducing new characters. Moon Knight is a perfect example of that.
The Fist of Khonshu was one of the most famous Marvel Comics characters to never appear in the MCU so the idea of seeing him headline a Disney Plus series was so thrilling. And the finished product was even more thrilling, as Oscar Isaac took us into that new territory with his incredible performance, introducing us to the world of Marc Spector and his multiple personalities.
Released in 2022, Moon Knight was extremely well-received by fans and critics, and we've all been wondering whether a second season might come about at some point. But Marvel never officially greenlit it, and more recent commentary has seemingly confirmed that it isn't happening (for now at least). Let's dive into why that is the case.
Moon Knight was designed as a miniseries
Moon Knight was a part of a wave of Marvel programming that saw each show specifically designed to be a miniseries. That way, you had these huge big-budget productions that just so happened to be split up across six-nine episodes, released weekly on a streaming service instead of in movie theaters. And there is no denying that the Lunar Legionnaire's series was one of the most cinematic of them all.
Now, there were some exceptions to that rule. Loki was renewed for a second season because of its overall importance to the Multiverse Saga while the animated shows were envisioned to run for multiple seasons. However, given its standalone nature (there were no connections to the MCU as a whole), Moon Knight functioned well as a miniseries. And yet, it was one of the few that could have realistically returned for another offering.
The show has no ties to the MCU and its first season wrapped up in a satisfying nature (which also left some breadcrumbs for a future installment). And yet, those are exactly the reasons why another installment could have happened. In fact, it's one of the only shows from that original wave of shows that could have feasibly returned for a sophomore adventure, as the first season was so loosely connected to what was happening in the rest of the franchise. And with Moon Knight having its own established lore - that is so isolated from the rest of the MCU - it very easily could have returned for more.
There is one element of the recent changes at Marvel that could have served it well, but that it also the very thing that has likely prevented season 2 from happening.
Marvel Television has shifted more towards ongoing TV shows that cost less to produce
By the time that the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Multiverse Saga reached its halfway point, the franchise had experienced a more unbalanced run than it ever had before. Multiple films began to underperform in theaters while a number of the Disney Plus shows had divided audiences (and that showed in their performances). The increased output of content due to the Disney Plus shows likely had a hand in that and, thus, together with parent company Disney, Marvel Studios made some changes to its release approach.
From moving away from more experimental characters (and towards sure-fire successes) to completely reshuffling the way that they make TV, the changes were clear pretty quickly. In terms of TV, the studio relaunched the Marvel Television label starting with Agatha All Along, and that was a pretty apt show to begin it with. Although heavily connected to MCU movie characters, Agatha was reportedly the cheapest Marvel series of them all, and yet it received critical acclaim for operating like a TV show (instead of a multi-part movie) - something that the studio was planning to do more of going forward.
Daredevil: Born Again is the first real example of a Marvel Television show (as opposed to the Marvel Studios miniseries format). Operating more like a TV series, it has its own unique tone - emulating the dark and gritty approach of the original Daredevil series from Netflix - and is much more grounded than the fantasy / sci-fi nature we've come to expect from the Marvel shows. Therefore, it's more cost-effective to produce. It's also more focused on its own storylines instead of setting up a future MCU movie and thus, can tell that story over multiple seasons instead of just six episodes. That's one of the many reasons as to why it made history as the first Marvel Television show to earn a third season renewal.
The studio is also interested in renewing Hawkeye for a second season. Although it too was part of the original miniseries wave of shows, the grounded nature of Hawkeye and Kate Bishop would allow for another adventure that simply wouldn't cost as much to make as a more supernatural offering.
Now, given that Moon Knight, Hawkeye, and Daredevil have some similarities, the former's show could have effectively mimicked this new gameplan Marvel has for TV. However it appears that the studio has other, bigger plans for him.
Marvel Studios has a plan for Moon Knight's return (and it is likely in the Midnight Sons movie)
The silver lining in all of the unfortunate Moon Knight season 2 updates (and the lack thereof) is that the biggest reason the show won't be returning for the foreseeable is that Marvel Studios actually has plans for the character. It's always been a running theory among scoopers and insiders, but that was all-but-confirmed in early 2025 when Marvel's Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation Brad Winderbaum opened up about the show's future, and why Marvel Television aren't currently the ones in charge of it.
Speaking to ComicBook.com, he discussed the studio's shift in television strategy, as well as his desire to make the second season at some point - highlighting that, for the time being, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has plans for the character:
"So I think Marvel Television has happened in waves, and I think Moon Knight happened in a wave of shows that were going to establish characters that would tie-in to the future... And moving forward our priorities have shifted. We’re making shows as shows that can exist as annual releases, more like television. I would love to see a Moon Knight Season 2, but there are plans for Moon Knight down the road."
So it's important to point out that Oscar Isaac will return as the Fist of Khonshu at some point in the future. And that's a good thing, as the series' post-credits scene made it clear that we will see Marc Spector, Steven Grant, and Jake Lockley again, but as the studio's plans shifted, fans worried whether the return of Moon Knight was one of the casualties of those changes. Thankfully, it appears that this isn't the case.
As for where we can expect to see Moon Knight again? The likely answer to that question is the long-rumored, long-awaited Midnight Sons movie. Based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name, the project would include the more supernatural characters of the MCU (most of whom were introduced during the Multiverse Saga and then never reintroduced).. The Lunar Legionnaire is expected to be one of the main characters of the film, along with characters from Werewolf by Night (including the titular character Jack Russell, Elsa Bloodstone and Man-Thing).
Two other characters expected to appear in it are iconic Marvel heroes Blade and Ghost Rider. We know the former is set to be portrayed by Mahershala Ali (who voiced the character in an uncredited appearance in Eternals) as fans eagerly await his eventual MCU film. The latter is expected to be one of the big additions of the franchise's next chapter.
After Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel will shift into its next Saga, which Kevin Feige is currently calling the "Mutants Era". With that, the X-Men are expected to play a major role as the potential new leaders of the franchise. That being said, according to insider Alex Perez, the supernatural characters of the franchise will also be one of the next saga's most important throughlines. If that's the case, it could be time for Moon Knight's comeback and the Midnight Sons' debut.
So, taking all of that into account, Marvel doesn't have any current plans for Moon Knight season 2. Although the studio may have planned it at some point, their goal has shifted towards reintroducing the character in another project in the future. If they do change their minds again, however, it goes without saying that the Lunar Legionnaire would make a perfect star for an ongoing series. Who wouldn't love the idea of seeing Oscar Isaac battle Marvel baddies on an annual basis? I know I wouldn't mind seeing that!
Regardless of when and how it happens, Moon Knight will return to the MCU.