Movies

Moonshot, Moon Knight, and Moonfall: Moonsplaining the Moon trend

Which Moons are actually about the moon? It’s complicated.

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Published on March 23, 2022 09:00AM EDT

The moon: so hot right now! Actually, the moon is an eternally cold and lonely rock orbiting a planet on fire. But it certainly is popular. The spaced-out romcom Moonshot hits HBO Max on March 31, one day after the premiere of Marvel's eerie Moon Knight on Disney+. Don't forget about Moonfall, the latest from catastrophe auteur (catastrauteur?) Roland Emmerich, which is still in (some) theaters and arrives on VOD April 1. Here's your guide to culture's sudden Moonaisssance.

Halle Berry in 'Moonfall'. Reiner Bajo/Lionsgate

Does someone pretend to be someone else?

Moonshot: Yes. When Mars-loving space stowaway Walt (Cole Sprouse) begs eco-scientist Sophia (Lana Condor) for help, she grudgingly lets him impersonate her boyfriend.

Moon Knight: Yes. Struggling London-based loser Steven (Oscar Isaac) may also be Marc Spector, the titular Marvel character who lives with dissociative personality.

Moonfall: Yes, if by "someone" you mean "the moon," which is not really a moon. It's a superstructure built by spacefaring proto-humans to fight AI nanotech swarms. What now?

Are there any eccentric billionaires?

Moonshot: Yes. Zach Braff plays astro-colonialist Leon Covi, the richest man on Mars, who brags that he does not pay any taxes specifically because he is so wealthy.

Moon Knight: Maybe. In comics, Spector is an occasional billionaire. But this could be a Skrulls-Are-Nice- Now canon shake- up. (Ethan Hawke) is definitely a Mr. Robot, right?)

Moonfall: No, but K.C. (John Bradley) professes his love for Elon Musk, the richest man on Earth, who just moved to a state with no income tax. Wait, someone built the moon?

Oscar Isaac in 'Moon Knight'. Marvel Studios

Is the moon actually a big part of the story?

Moonshot: No. The title refers to the business phrase denoting a project of great expense and cos- mic aspiration. A more accurate title would be Marsshot, but, I mean...

Moon Knight: Unlikely. Moon Knight's name refers to a (possible) connection to an Egyptian moon god. But he'll definitely wind up in space for Avengers: Moonfinity War or whatever.

Moonfall: Yes, and it's a hollow robot-hating murder moon!!! If they'd led with that, skyrocketing grosses would've led to a nine-film saga about Halle Berry mooncrashing into every planet, and Pluto.

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