Moon Knight is set to introduce a hero unlike any other we’ve previously met in the MCU. While his origins are pretty wild — the character is imbued with power after being chosen as the avatar of Egyptian deity Khonshu —Moon Knight will also be rooted in reality via his Dissociative Identity Disorder. DID has been explored in superhero fiction before now, in the likes of Split, but the difference is that Moon Knight aims to offer a more sympathetic depiction of the condition.
In a USA Today preview of the incoming Marvel Studios series, star Oscar Isaac teased that MK will feel “experimental” and “quite true to the psychological horror of not knowing what’s happening and the slow revelations of the truth.” As the trailers have revealed, the show will start with Isaac playing Steven, an introverted British guy who discovers that he’s really Marc Spector, a former U.S. Marine. Isaac explained that telling the story this way allows the audience to have a better understanding of what DID is like.
It’s his struggles with his mental health that showrunner Jeremy Slater believes makes Moon Knight stand out from the crowd. “[That] makes him much more than just sort of a palette-swapped Batman clone,” Slater said. “A lot of superheroes are defined by their villains (but) Moon Knight is his own greatest enemy in a lot of ways.”
Not that Moon Knight will be portrayed in a villainous light himself. Slater went on to stress that the show’s writers “did their homework” and tackled the character’s condition with the upmost responsibility and seriousness. “Whatever we’re putting out there in the universe has to be ultimately good and uplifting and have a positive message about mental health,” Slater added.
The fact that Moon Knight is going to treat its protagonist’s DID with respect is yet another encouraging sign that the series is going to be a truly special entry in the ever-growing MCU. Don’t miss it when it premieres on Disney Plus this March 30.
