There has been a lot of hype as well as confusion about Disney+’s new Marvel show called Moon Knight.
Moon Knight has been an underrated and under appreciated character throughout pop culture. He suffers from dissociative identity disorder, which is something you rarely see in comic books and super heroes.
We tend to view superheroes as these perfect beings that do not have to deal with much besides beating villains up.
The character of Moon Knight directly goes against this common stereotype and illustrates that there can be a superhero that isn’t perfect and gives a sense of comfort to readers who deal with mental health issues.
In the comics, Moon Knight has three different secret identities.
His main identity is that of Marc Spector, who is a mercenary that was revived by the Egyptian god of the moon Khonshu. His other two identities are Steven Grant, a handsome millionaire, and Jake Lockley, a tough cab driver.
Based on the trailers so far, viewers are yet to see if the show will be incorporating all of these identities.
Moon Knight’s powers have changed throughout the comics but in most variations he has enhanced strength, reflexes, speed and durability. Moon Knight draws his power from Khonshu and in recent years has displayed god-like powers.
Even without his powers, the identity of Spector is an excellent hand-to-hand fighter. Spector was trained in the CIA as well as the Marines.
Moon Knight also has a wide array of weapons at his side such as darts, grapples and ankhs.
Moon Knight is known to be a violent superhero who does not cut his enemies any slack. He is a hero who loves to fight and scrap, claiming that he wears all white so his enemies can see him coming. He is also known to take a punch as opposed to dodging it.
This show seems to be going in the comic accurate direction, showing Moon Knight beating a villain with his bare hands and revealing a comic.
It is interesting and exciting to see Disney make a show surrounded by one of their darker themed heroes, even teasing horror-like scenes in the trailer. This is something we usually do not see throughout the MCU.
The character will be played by actor Oscar Isaac who is no stranger to bringing comic book characters on screen. Isaac is known for his roles in X-Men, Star wars and Dune.
The show’s main antagonist is Arthur Harrow, played by well known actor Ethan Hawke.
It is still unknown exactly what Harrow’s powers and reality may be, but based on trailers he seems to be some type of German cult leader.
In the comics Harrow has a very minor role. He is a famous doctor that was exposed for using information and experiments from the Auschwitz concentration camps.
Marvel fans will have to wait and see what Disney has in store for Harrow and if he is even the main antagonist. Expect to see the Egyptian god of the dead Anubis sometime throughout the show.
