Ethan Hawke doesn’t believe in doing things by halves. When asked what episode of Disney’s upcoming Moon Knight series, in which he plays antagonist Arthur Harrow, Hawke literally skipped to the end. The Before Sunrise actor named episode 6 — the season finale — as the one he looked most forward to being seen by the fans, as that would indicate they had seen the entire series.
Speaking to Screen Rant, Hawke indicated that he thought of the entire series as a single piece of art:
Well, I guess I’d have to say [I’m most excited for fans to see] episode six because if they see six, that means they saw the whole thing. That’s what I want to give people, the whole thing. That’s the thing about a limited series. What’s fun about it is that it’s a huge canvas. What’s hard about it is you want, I want people to see the whole thing. Even like at a premiere tonight, well, they’re just seeing the first two episodes. I want them to see the whole Magilla.
– Ethan Hawke
Hawke’s character in Moon Knight, Arthur Harrow, is based on an obscure character from volume two of Moon Knight‘s Marvel comics’ run, who only appeared in a single issue. The clips and interviews surrounding the TV series indicate a vastly different take on the character, and Harrow appears to be the — or at least one of the — principal antagonists of the show. Hawke is taking inspiration for the character from a wide variety of powerful, and often disturbing figures, including Branch Davidian leader David Koresh, Jimmy Swaggart, the Dalai Lama, Leo Tolstoy, and Auschwitz’ “Angel of Death,” Josef Mengele.
Hawke’s comment may indicate that fans can expect some major pay-offs in the finale. Early reactions from the first two episodes, which have been screened for select critics, have been overwhelmingly positive, but also seem to indicate a globe-spanning adventure with large stakes. Marvel chief creative officer Kevin Feige has confirmed that Moon Knight will move on to the big screen after his Disney Plus series, so the finale may stand as a jumping-off place for the characters’ big screen debut — and may have to tie off the series loose ends, if a second season isn’t in the offing.
In any case, Moon Knight fans, and everyone else, will get their first real look at the show in just a few days. Moon Knight premieres on Disney Plus on March 30.
