Oscar Isaac says ‘Moon Knight’ has roots in psychological horror

When Moon Knight arrives on Disney Plus at the end of this month, it could come as a shock to some fans. Marc Spector is unlike anyone we’ve previously seen in the MCU: dealing with mental illness, not knowing whether his powers are real or a delusion, and delving deep into obscure mythology are just three of his unique characteristics.

But, all that stuff is part of what’s gotten us so hyped, and also a big reason why Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke signed on in the first place. Isaac discussed the role in a new interview with USA Today, revealing how Spector’s complex and bizarre origin story drew him in.

“He’s this Jewish Chicago guy who is enslaved to an Egyptian god. And one of his alters is English. It’s already like, ‘What?!’”

Isaac also outlined that the show is intended to be “experiential”, with the viewer trying to figure out what’s real just as much as Spector is, so as to better convey the reality of having dissociative identity disorder.

“[Moon Knight] is quite true to the psychological horror of not knowing what’s happening and the slow revelations of the truth. .. It’s amazing that the brain has this survival mechanism, this way to cope. At a very young age, if you’re going through sustained horrible trauma and abuse, something that can happen in order for one to survive is the brain splits into an alternate personality that has no idea of what’s happening. Otherwise, you die because it’s just so awful.”

Obviously, Moon Knight won’t be strictly a real-life portrayal of the condition. After all, the ancient Egyptian deity Khonshu plays a large role, and Spector’s different personalities genuinely do grant him powers.

This territory is fairly new for Marvel Studios, although WandaVision dedicated a lot of time to mental health by showing how Wanda Maximoff dealt with the loss of a loved one. This focus could lead many to assume the show is walking into a potential minefield, but lead writer and executive producer Jeremy Slater has underlined that the message is one of positivity.

Moon Knight lands on Disney Plus on March 30.