Marvel could have some explaining to do with the Television Academy following the Moon Knight finale on Wednesday, May 4. Prior to the Disney+ show’s run, Marvel marketed Moon Knight as a limited series. However, the studio recently advertised Moon Knight Episode 6 as the “season finale,” implying there could be another installment. While that’s an exciting possibility for fans, it could squash Moon Knight‘s chances at the Emmy Awards. Here’s why.
Marvel called ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 6 the ‘season finale’ instead of the ‘series finale’
Moon Knight tells a standalone story within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As such, Marvel has billed it as a limited, six-episode series, much like 2021’s WandaVision. Even the show’s cast has acknowledged that Moon Knight may not continue with more episodes, as Ethan Hawke told IGN it “functions” well as a limited series:
“[Moon Knight] lives and breathes on its own merits. It functions as a limited series — and if people are engaged and excited by it then it could be the origin story of a larger thing.”
So, many fans were surprised to see Marvel’s careful wording in regards to Moon Knight‘s conclusion. On Monday, the studio published a tweet encouraging fans to watch the “series finale” of Moon Knight. However, Marvel quickly took down the tweet and reworded it to say “season finale.”
This might not necessarily mean a season 2, but Marvel likely wanted to leave the door open to that possibility. Of course, that could pose issues with their plan for a Moon Knight Emmys campaign.
Why Marvel’s tweets could compromise ‘Moon Knight’s Emmys submissions
Back in mid-April, Variety reported on Marvel’s plan to submit Moon Knight for Emmys consideration in the limited series categories, along with Hawkeye. Meanwhile, Loki would vie for nominations in the drama categories. And there’s a simple reason why Loki could not run alongside the other Disney+ series in the limited fields — it already teased a season 2, which goes against Television Academy rules for a limited series.
Now, Moon Knight could face the same problem. Another Variety report pointed out that the Television Academy could reject Moon Knight as a limited series simply because Marvel called its conclusion a “season finale.” The report reads:
“Once a network submits, the TV Academy can reject it and cite previous marketing materials, including social media, stories, and interviews. Although fans would cheerfully welcome another outing of Isaac as Marc Spector/Steven Grant/Mr. Knight/Moon Knight, the Emmys have proactively been trying to overhaul the category and close loopholes for shows seemingly taking advantage of the rules.”
The Television Academy’s rules state that a limited series must “tell a complete, non-recurring story, and not have an ongoing storyline or main characters in subsequent seasons.”
Moon Knight could join Loki in the drama categories, but that would likely make it much more challenging to land a nomination/win. The drama categories are much more competitive. Ultimately, Marvel and Disney+ want to find the same success with Moon Knight, Loki, and Hawkeye as they did with WandaVision, which earned 23 Emmy nominations in the limited series categories.
Is ‘Moon Knight’ going to have a season 2?
At the time of this writing, Marvel Studios has not yet announced Moon Knight Season 2. It’s unclear to predict whether a second season could happen. Many fans are hungry for more, and the cast members are open to returning. However, star Oscar Isaac confirmed that there are “no official plans” yet.
“You know, I think we approached it as ‘this is the story,’” he said told RadioTimes. “And let’s just put everything out on the table in this story. There’s definitely no official plans to continue it. I think it would depend on what the story is.”
All episodes of Moon Knight Season 1 are now streaming on Disney+. Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for more updates on season 2.
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