What is The Goldfish Problem in Moon Knight?
The highly anticipated MCU series has finally arrived, and with some of the promotional campaign, and the title of the first episode, we have to ask the very important question; what is the Goldfish problem in Moon Knight?
Fans have been anxiously awaited the eventual debut of the MCUs latest entry in the form of the newest Disney+ series Moon Knight.
Source: Marvel Studios
Centered around the character of Marc Spector, a former mercenary turned vigilante whose struggles with dissociative identity disorder make his perception of reality very difficult, and his journey to becoming the character known as Moon Knight.
There is no shortage of intrigue with Spector’s Moon Knight, as he stands as one of Marvel’s most intriguing creations to date; becoming one of the MCU’s most interesting additions to date as well.
Source: Marvel Studios
What has been interesting about the premiere episode of the series is the dichotomy between Spector and Grant, the depiction of the character’s affliction, and how that impacts his transition from gift store clerk to superpowers vigilante.
Yet, before the series’ first episode premiered, Marvel shared a puzzling image that was seemingly a poster featuring a goldfish in a blender.
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) March 29, 2022
This was then compounded by the title of the first episode, and every episode’s recurring factor of a goldfish; which has led us to ask, What is the Goldfish Problem in Moon Knight.
One theory is that the use of a goldfish, and the scene in which the animal is in a blender, harkens back to an art installation done by controversial creator Marco Everistti in Denmark in which Goldfish where placed in a plugged-in blender, with viewers able to decide whether or not to turn the blender on.
Source: Artelectronicmedia.com
It is interesting to consider, as the art installation itself speaks to humanity, control, and empathy, all recurring themes that- in one way or another- come into play with Marc Spector, Steven Grant, and Khonshu’s dichotomy.
There is also the idea of a Goldfish in general, with the shortest attention span, it could be a metaphor for Grant’s spurts of memory before Spector takes over; while there is also the connection to Nemo, with Grants fish having one fin before Spector attempts to replace it but cannot find a similarly damaged fish
Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Steven Grant and Gus the goldfish in Marvel Studios’ MOON KNIGHT, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
The bottom line is, we don’t really know what the Goldfish problem is…yet. and we can only hope that, as the series continues to evolve, we get a greater idea of what it means, and how it speaks to the series’ main character.
