Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Moon Knight

  • ‘Moon Knight’ From Page to Screen: Episode 2

    ‘Moon Knight’ From Page to Screen: Episode 2

    Last week’s From Page to Screen for Moon Knight Episode 1 explored the history of Marc Spector’s dissociative identity disorder in the comics, given that Steven’s revelation that another person also existed inside his body was that episode’s primary focus. Episode 2, however, introduced the major player Mr. Knight. When live-action projects diverge significantly from the comics, it always manages to create quite the discourse among fans. If you’re curious about Mr. Knight, this article compares the live-action version of the character in Moon Knight to his comics counterpart.

    Moon Knight #11 (2015)

    The Similarities

    While the live-action and comics version of Mr. Knight have major differences (see below), it is undeniable that they share significant features.

    Moon Knight #1 (2014)
    Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 2

    The Look

    Most obviously, the character’s appearance in Moon Knight looks like it was practically ripped from the pages of a Moon Knight comic. First introduced in the 2014 Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey run, he stands out with his head-to-toe bright white attire. Unlike Moon Knight, he ditches the cape and cowl and opts for a pristine suit and a mask that gives off serial killer energy. As is obvious from Moon Knight, Oscar Isaac’s Mr. Knight looks virtually the same, other than his attire is more of a pale grey than Moon Knight artist Shalvey’s blinding white suitable for a whitening toothpaste commercial. They both also utilize their stick weapons quite often. Mr. Knight in the comics has consistently kept this nearly exact look in later runs such as the 2016 Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood run, and the ongoing Jed MacKay and Alessandro Cappuccio run.

    Moon Knight #14 (2017)
    Moon Knight #1 (2021)

    Just a Smidge of His Personality

    Before anyone gets up in arms over the suggestion that the two Mr. Knights have the same personality traits, the very clear differences are discussed below. However, it is worth noting that Moon Knight’s Mr. Knight still captures the essence of the comics’ character. Between his look and his more casual presence, Mr. Knight is always slightly goofier than Moon Knight. There is something odd about him, even compared to his caped Moon Knight alter. Steven Grant definitely checks off the “odd” box, but there’s something else. In the comics, Mr. Knight is much more sociable than Moon Knight. He walks the streets, visits crime scenes, works with police, interacts with ordinary people, and even goes to therapy. In Moon Knight, if anyone that we have met is going to fill that role in live-action, all bets are on Steven Grant, not Marc Spector.

    Moon Knight #4 (2014)
    Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 2
    Moon Knight #7 (2022)

    The Differences

    Mr. Knight’s introduction in Episode 2 was divisive because he is, fundamentally, sort of an entirely different character. On one hand, in the comics, Mr. Knight is generally considered another separate personality of Marc Spector’s, not one of the others in a suit. In Moon Knight, obviously, Mr. Knight is very much Steven Grant. To be fair, Mr. Knight in the comics sometimes has no problem identifying as Marc, and quite frankly his personality is not overly divergent from Marc or Moon Knight.

    Moon Knight #13 (2017)

    Still, Moon Knight’s Steven Grant—who is also a dramatic departure from the comics—is much more of an even goofier persona, so live-action Mr. Knight is the same. Mr. Knight in the comics has plenty of comic relief moments and is not constantly entirely dark or serious, but he is still much more dark and serious than Moon Knight’s version so far. Again, Mr. Knight in the comics almost operates as a more down-to-Earth Moon Knight (no pun intended), so he still functions as a nighttime vigilante who will take down a crowd of villains with the same intensity Moon Knight might.

    Moon Knight #1 (2014)

    Moon Knight, though, explains Mr. Knight’s origin. Steven Grant, as awkward and British as he is, came up with that dapper outfit while trying to summon a lunar-god-granted “suit”. The inclusion of the mental state that would end up with Mr. Knight’s attire is one of the best parts of the live-action change. In the comics, Mr. Knight just sort of appears as a new identity in the Ellis and Shalvey revival of Moon Knight, few questions asked.

    Moon Knight’s first two episodes are now streaming on Disney+.

  • ‘Moon Knight’s Funko Pops Revealed for Mr. Knight and Harrow

    ‘Moon Knight’s Funko Pops Revealed for Mr. Knight and Harrow

    The tradition continues that each new episode of a Marvel Disney+ also includes a newly released Funko Pop. At the moment, Moon Knight is introducing a variety of new characters and offering a look at a new part of the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. The second episode was the grand introduction of Mr. Knight, a popular personality from the original comics. Luckily, Funko didn’t wait long to reveal a new Funko Pop inspired by his design.

    Luckily, that’s not all as Ethan Hawke‘s Arthur Harrow also got his own Funko, as he stands proud with his iconic Ammut staff clutched in his hands. It’s surprising he didn’t get one until the second episode as he was prominently showcased in the first episode but we did get to learn more about the character in the latest episode.

    The designs look great, especially Mr. Knight with all the details added to his costume. If you look closely, you can even see the elements included in his tie that made his design stand out a bit more from the clean white version we see in the comics. The addition of Mr. Knight has also been a great addition to the series. While there have been some discussions on the twist they added to the character, it still was great to see him on-screen and what the future may have in store for him moving forward.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Directors Tease their Approach to ‘Loki’ Season 2

    ‘Moon Knight’ Directors Tease their Approach to ‘Loki’ Season 2

    It was in February when we learned that the directing duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead would be taking over the upcoming second season of Loki from Kate Herron. The team just recently published their work on Archive 81 and has also been the second team to tackle Moon Knight alongside Egyptian director Mohamed Diab. We still know very little about the upcoming second season and what we can expect from the series, but luckily the duo has sat down with Collider to offer a glimpse into their approach.

    After tackling the character of Moon Knight, the duo had the challenge of introducing a comic character that made his live-action debut. So, now they are happy to tackle another series revealing they were “handed that job” and highlighting what they also want to carry over from their first Disney+ series.

    I mean, we’re still kind of even processing being handed that job. But I suppose what we can say about it is that we’re really, really proud of what we’ve done on Moon Knight. I think that Marvel really likes what we’re able to do on Moon Knight. And so we’re hoping to kind of take all the lessons that we learned, which are infinite, the unbelievable amount of life experience, and craft, and art that we made in Moon Knight. And we want to take all of that and kind of bundle it back together as we lead Loki.

    Aaron Moorhead

    Benson went on to also highlight that they have one thing together that they are both “outcasts” and that complexity adds something special to exploring these characters.

    They all have complexity, but these two have complexity in being outcasts, and there’s something about that that feels very special and an honor to tackle.

    Justin Benson

    It certainly looks like the duo are ready to tackle their next MCU project, and are quite excited to bring the second season of Loki to life. We know that it’ll likely pick up directly where the first season ended, as Kang has taken over the TVA and no one can seemingly remember who the God of Mischief is. Sadly, it looks like we still have to wait a little bit longer before we find out.

    Source: Collider

  • Oscar Isaac Practically Confirms Third ‘Moon Knight’ Personality Will Appear

    Oscar Isaac Practically Confirms Third ‘Moon Knight’ Personality Will Appear

    Oscar Isaac is either spoiling his own show or using the red carpet to mess with Moon Knight fans across the globe. At the L.A. premiere of his new hit Disney+ series, the former Star Wars actor was asked by a reporter what it was like to portray two characters for the project. The conversation is in Spanish, but Isaac’s cheeky response translates to the rather intriguing sentence “and perhaps more than just the two”.

    https://twitter.com/pollos_hernandy/status/1512188318297034757?s=21

    The continued dialogue goes as follows:


    You play two extraordinary characters, how hard was it for you to..

    Reporter

    And perhaps more than just the two. Perhaps more than two. You’ll have to watch the show.

    Oscar Isaac

    In the comics, the Moon Knight character typically has at least three civilian personalities at any given moment. The show has done an excellent job of covering two of them, the mercenary Marc Spector and the more posh Steven Grant. However, fans have been curious about the absence of a third personality Jake Lockley, who is usually portrayed as a New York City cab driver, and Moon Knight’s ears on the streets. While many have been quick to pick up on possible Lockley easter eggs in the show’s first episodes, this is perhaps the closest we’ve come to having any actual confirmation that the alter, who our own Mary Maerz has been theorizing about for a couple of weeks, may be on the way.

    Moon Knight has currently aired two of its six episodes, which means there’s still plenty of time to introduce new concepts and characters in the home stretch. For now, however, fans can keep enjoying the fantastic performance Isaac is giving as Spector and Grant every Wednesday.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Moon Knight’: A Guide to Khonshu

    ‘Moon Knight’: A Guide to Khonshu

    While Steven Grant and Marc Spector grapple with the fact that they are two personalities living within the same body in Moon Knight, they have another presence to deal with. Often towering above them with a booming, rather demanding voice is F. Murray Abraham‘s Khonshu. While Episode 2 of the series gives only a very brief rundown of the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu is absolutely vital to Moon Knight’s character. Here, we give you a more in-depth look at Khonshu.

    Avengers
    Moon Knight

    In Egyptian mythology, Khonshu is revered as the nocturnal God of the Moon, God of Vengeance, and the Shepherd of the Lost. He was a protector of travelers in the night. The nitty-gritty of Khonshu and other Egyptian gods in the comics is that these gods are members of the Heliopolitan race of gods who live in the Othervoid, an extradimensional realm adjacent to Earth and worshipped by the people of Ancient Egypt. Moon Knight has adopted a more modern take on the appearance of the character, specifically opting for the bird-like skull head that appears in many recent adaptations. 

    Moon Knight
    Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight

    Because Khonshu, and the other gods, are unable to be physically present on Earth, they choose human avatars to carry out their will on Earth. For Khonshu, his chosen avatar is called the Moon Knight. As we know, Khonshu chose Marc Spector to be his avatar after Spector died and was revived under a statue of Khonshu.

    For Marc Spector and his alters, being the “Fist of Khonshu” originally looked like standard vigilante work, and it still does generally. But lately, there is more emphasis on the protection of nighttime travelers. Khonshu often appears to Marc, but there are times when it is suggested that he may be a figment of Marc’s imagination. Khonshu often appears as himself, but Spector has seen him in many forms including the form of a faceless Bushman after Moon Knight tore the face off of the villain. Khonshu early on was more professional, and sort of seemed like a more traditional authoritative presence. But he has certainly developed a personality, whether as the actual god or as Spector’s mental projection.

    So far in Moon Knight, Khonshu has been a bit rude, short, and “snotty”. As you can tell from the series so far, he has no problem calling Steven Grant “the idiot” or flat-out insulting or criticizing anyone. He does not appear to exhibit patience or empathy when dealing with humans. Likewise, in the comics, nowadays you can indeed expect him to be quite rude and often demanding. Sometimes this takes more of a sadistic and manipulative form (such as the Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood run in which he tries to break Spector’s mind completely), and in others, he is sarcastic, vulgar, and absurd (the page from Moon Knight #15 (2006) below should say a lot). 

    Moon Knight #15 (2006)

    Khonshu has a colorful, long, and detailed history in the comics, some unrelated to Marc Spector. For example, around 1,000,000 B.C., Khonshu was upset that he was not offered membership to the Stone Age Avengers. He chose his first Moon Knight in part to antagonize those Avengers on his behalf. Khonshu has taken over Spector’s physical body during Moon Knight’s time with the West Coast Avengers, and he revived Spector once again during the events of Marc Spector: Moon Knight (1989). In Jason Aaron’s recent arc, Avengers: The Age of Khonshu, Khonshu uses Moon Knight to defeat several Avengers in an attempt at taking over the world for the supposed purpose of protecting it. 

    Avengers

    Whether Khonshu remains as a more passive companion throughout Moon Knight is yet to be seen. It is likely that we will not see too much Khonshu-specific storytelling in this series that focuses on Steven Grant and Marc Spector’s dissociative identity disorder and introduces Moon Knight as a concept. It is interesting that neither Marc Spector nor Khonshu have been truly explained in detail yet, and “Moon Knight” as a name has not yet been used. Still, Khonshu is likely to remain around as an integral part of Moon Knight. 

    Moon Knight is now streaming on Disney+.

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 2 Evidence Further Supports the Jake Lockley Theory

    ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 2 Evidence Further Supports the Jake Lockley Theory

    The second episode of Moon Knight continued to explore and emphasize the relationship between personalities Steven Grant and Marc Spector. With the confirmation that Moon Knight and Mr. Knight are simply the costumed versions of Spector and Grant, rather than separate personalities, the question lingers whether any other alters associated with Spector’s dissociative identity disorder from the comics will make an appearance in the Disney+ series.

    It is a strong bet that Spector’s third classic identity in the comics, Jake Lockley, could be revealed at some point. While Moon Knight has been silent on the matter, Episode 1 may have hidden some nods to Lockley’s existence. Episode 2 followed suit, though, and there are fresh hints at Spector’s third personality.

    The Reflections

    While many are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments, there are numerous times Steven or Marc’s reflection in a mirror is split into three or the mirrored identity seems to have an extra with him. That might seem trivial, but considering how Moon Knight uses mirrors and reflections as the nearly exclusive means of navigating the separate identities, the visuals likely carry much more meaning and intention than the average reflections.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’

    Marc Spector’s Freak Out

    Perhaps one of the most interesting potential clues comes with Marc’s and Steven’s argument near the very end of the episode. Things got heated, and Marc ultimately goes into a mini-rage to smash the reflection he is seeing Steven in. Marc so far has certainly been depicted as more serious and violent than Steven but never before has he expressed any heightened anger or animosity towards Steven. It certainly stood out as a somewhat out-of-nowhere expression of hostility, frustration, and brutality. So, while this moment could be a moment where Marc is overwhelmed and simply acts out, we possibly just saw Jake Lockley in action.

    In the comics, Jake has more recently become known as the hyper-violent, somewhat more psychopathic identity. He is willing to take the violent or darker action that even Marc, the ex-mercenary, hesitates on–and he does so without a guilty conscience. If Moon Knight does bring Jake to screen, there is a good chance this is the interpretation of him viewers will see. This moment in Episode 2 may be a tease at Jake’s ability to take control of their body when he sees fit.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’

    Side Comments from Layla and Arthur Harrow

    Nothing that any character has said would definitively confirm or deny that Marc and Steven are the only two personalities in their bodies. If Moon Knight does want to introduce another identity in some “surprise” reveal, spoiling it now would not make sense. Still, a couple of comments in Episode 2 are curious.

    First, and most interesting, when Layla meets ad confronts Steven for the first time, she asks: “Is this Steven the latest fake identity for you?” That would imply that Layla was aware of other times Marc went by another name. Considering he seems to have a shady background, it would not be surprising if he used fake names to stay out of trouble or go places Marc Spector could not go. But Layla could also be referring to a time when Jake was in control of Marc’s body and told her his name was Jake Lockley.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’

    Arthur Harrow also makes a comment that is less convincing but perhaps also speaks to how much Harrow knows about the protagonist. He says to Steven: “It must be difficult having all those voices inside one head.” He refers to Marc and Khonshu, but he could be hinting that he knows more about the current Moon Knight than we see. After all, he is Khonshu’s former avatar, plus his cane somehow let him know that there is “chaos” in Steven–maybe it told him much more than that. Still, it is hard to shake the feeling that Harrow knows more about our protagonist than we do, and almost certainly more than Steven.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’

    The first two episodes of Moon Knight are streaming on Disney+.

  • Exploring ‘Moon Knight’ Villain’s Hidden Comics Connections

    Exploring ‘Moon Knight’ Villain’s Hidden Comics Connections

    Ethan Hawke’s Arthur Harrow is a mysterious villain in Moon Knight. This is partly due to the fact that the show’s creators stated that they opted to invent an original villain rather than use a classic antagonist from the comics. Still, Hawke’s Harrow undeniably shares strong similarities with several villains seen in more recent Moon Knight comics. While this could simply reveal where the series’ writers got their inspiration for the character, it might also provide clues as to what could be revealed about Harrow as the series progresses.

    Sun King

    There was plenty of speculation that Hawke would be playing a version of Patient 86, also referred to as the Sun King. While being treated for bipolar disorder at Ravencroft Institute, a doctor introduced him to Egyptian mythology because she recognized similarities between Patient 86 and Marc Spector/Moon Knight, and she thought it might help him. He became obsessed with the Sun King Amon Ra and seemed to gain flame powers while institutionalized. He sought to destroy Moon Knight because of the contentious relationship between the two Egyptian gods they represented. The “Sun King” became a cult leader on a small island with a significant following.

    Obviously, we know Hawke’s Harrow is quite the cult leader himself, as he’s seen seemingly leading a community of followers in the name of an Egyptian god. He also revealed he was the previous Fist of Khonshu, so he may have a specific or obsessive grudge against Marc Spector that hasn’t been fully explored. Speaking of, this brings us to the next inspiration from the comics.

    Other Fists of Khonshu

    There are times throughout Moon Knight’s history that Khonshu choosing other avatars comes into play. So far in Moon Knight, we know that Khonshu is interested in Layla as his next avatar. More importantly, though, we know that Harrow was a past Fist of Khonshu. A couple of somewhat similar situations have arisen recently in Moon Knight comics. Both instances involved the other “fist,” or wannabe’s fist, having a much different idea of Khonshu’s will or vengeance.

    First, while it was ultimately a front, a psychologist Marc employed convinced Khonshu to allow her to be his avatar. Her cover story, at least, was that she and her family were victims of a genocidal war, and she sought the assassination of the General who was now leading the country. The main themes associated with this psychologist were that killing the General could prevent future deaths and that Marc Spector was too weak to do the type of preventative “justice” she imagined was required of a Moon Knight.

    Hawke’s Harrow is completely set on preventative justice–his dedication to Ammit centers around ending evil before it can be committed. While the psychologist from the comics ultimately ended up being someone else, perhaps Moon Knight’s Harrow has a surprise reveal down the line that demonstrates his true intentions unrelated to Ammut.

    ‘Moon Knight’

    In the current comics run of Moon Knight, another purported Fist of Khonshu emerged. Yet another doctor, went by the name of Hunter’s Moon and claimed to be the second “fist” (after all, people have two hands). Whether he actually was or not, he also called into question whether Spector was adequately carrying out Khonshu’s will. Hawke’s Harrow is slightly different, though, because he believes Khonshu’s approach the justice is simply wrong. But he does question Moon Knight’s values and likely seeks to turn him to his side. Still, Hunter’s Moon is so recent in the comics that it is highly unlikely the series had him in mind when writing Moon Knight.

    Dr. Arthur Harrow and His Possible Connection to Another Major Villain

    This one is a bit more of a stretch, but it could explain why Moon Knight decided to name its original villain after Dr. Arthur Harrow, a comics character that appeared in a single issue of a Moon Knight comic in 1985. Dr. Harrow was a scientist who used techniques from Auschwitz to research pain theory in horrific, illegal ways. A future Moon Knight villain, Ernst, is a Nazi, torturer, and serial killer that posed as a member of Marc Spector’s childhood Jewish community. Spector’s escape from Ernst is credited as a major event in terms of the development of his dissociative identity disorder. The connection between Dr. Arthur Harrow and Ernst could be their shared affinity for pain. Ernst later led the Société des Sadiques, a group that celebrates sadism and pain. For his part, Hawke’s Harrow does open the series by putting broken glass in his shoes to cause himself pain at all times.

    Moon Knight is now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • REVIEW: ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 2

    REVIEW: ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 2

    The second episode of Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight follows up Episode 1’s prologue with masterful pacing and at least the fundamental pieces of a plot. While the caped crusader’s concept might leave a bit to be wanted in this episode, Oscar Isaac absolutely shines in the main role as both Steven Grant and Marc Spector. While overall Episode 2 shows that the series has its rockier components, it truly excels as a character piece with the backdrop of a darker, peculiar story of Egyptian gods and their human employees. 

    While the last episode found Steven Grant in a mysterious and confusing situation, Episode 2 begins to lay out, presumably, the series’ plot. It does not spend much time mincing words that Marc Spector and Steven Grant exist in the same body. We learn that Marc and his (separated) wife, Layla, have been working together to track down the golden Scarab, which seems to act as a guide to the Egyptian god Ammut’s lost tomb. 

    All of that matters because Marc is the avatar of the Egyptian lunar god Khonshu. In other words, Marc is Khonshu’s muscle on Earth. Ethan Hawke’s mysterious cult-leader villain, Arthur Harrow, is apparently a former avatar of Khonshu’s. His disdain for Khonshu’s methods led him to worship Ammut, who supposedly can eradicate evil before it is committed. Harrow essentially embodies the classic debate of whether it is moral to punish someone before they do something if you know it’s coming. He has a magic cane at his disposal that seems to sense whether people are worthy of living and can also open up some sort of portal to the underworld. 

    We also get a glimpse of Khonshu’s personality—he’s not particularly respected by the other gods, likes to throw temper tantrums, but also chooses avatars with strong moral compasses. Marc and Khonshu seem to have a fairly rocky relationship, each resenting the other but seeing one another as necessary. Layla comes into play not only as a worthy partner in all of the madness but also as part of Marc’s motivation to serve Khonshu—apparently, the moon god is eyeing Layla as his next avatar and Marc’s replacement.

    While all of that seems nutty to explain, what makes it even more interesting is that the Egyptian god plot is mostly the foundation that the true story about Steven and Marc plays out on top of. But yes, Marc does moonlight as a costumed hero-type, presumably known as Moon Knight. It is revealed that Moon Knight is merely a costumed Marc, rather than a separate personality like he often is in the comics. Plenty of fans may be a bit disappointed by that, but it highlights the Marc-Steven dynamic in such a strong way. As explained, Steven is also technically the Fist of Khonshu, but when he attempted to summon his Khonshu-divined armor, he ends up looking like an all-white bank robber in a suit. 

    Mr. Knight, who also isn’t actually named at this point, is similarly just a dressed-up Steven. Honestly, it’s a pretty genius way to fully develop the two personalities. Steven’s vigilante comes out as an odd, sort of awkward, out-of-place character in contrast to Marc’s hooded and caped persona. Both personalities get to play out as avatars of Khonshu, which makes their roles much more potent than if they were competing with a separate Moon Knight.

    The great news about those roles being so meaningful is that Isaac is phenomenal in his portrayal of them. The use of mirrors and reflective surfaces is a smart way to allow Marc and Steven to be in constant bickering communication without awkwardly adding in another off-screen voice or bulking up the screen with a second “imaginary” Oscar Isaac. The way Isaac just changes his face while switching alters is exquisite. And he wears each face so convincingly, without much help from outside influences like makeup or effects. The two personalities also interact with each other in such a grounded, realistic, but intense way that seems appropriate for two people unhappily and unwillingly sharing the same body. 

    The pacing of this episode is absolutely phenomenal. It moves fast enough for everything to feel urgent and exciting, but it does not take all of its supernatural and complicated elements too far in any given moment. It does not seem like it would have been easy to make sure the human element stayed at the same solid stride with the gods, canes, and Scarabs. A major piece that is a bit off in the episode, though, is how much necessary Moon Knight background is completely skipped over. There’s definitely a benefit to not trudging through an origin story, but Khonshu and Moon Knight feel like somewhat minor side characters at times despite being—at least in theory—extremely important to Moon Knight. 

    The action scenes with Moon Knight and Mr. Knight also felt a bit off at times. There will probably be a lot of conversations about the quality of the visual effects, but overall the choreography at least felt decent. But the episode chose some odd moments to go into slow motion and it can come across as too forced. Mr. Knight fighting the invisible Jackal is fine until it isn’t, and eventually, Mr. Knight flailing around lost its charm without anything extra to sort of organize it. And yes—anyone dying to watch some “brutal” violence will likely not be satisfied.

    While some of the major changes the series makes from its source material will almost certainly disappoint fans, Episode 2 demonstrated that Moon Knight’s own strengths are vying to make up for that. While a history lesson with respect to Marc and Khonshu feels much needed, the episode moved at a very smooth, steady, and lively speed that makes the story much easier to be a part of and much more enjoyable. Isaac brings something truly special to his now dual role as Steven and Marc, and their dynamic is undoubtedly the heart of the series. 

    Moon Knight is now streaming on Disney+.

  • ‘Moon Knight’s Showrunner Reveals Comic Inspiration for Disney+’s Suit Design

    ‘Moon Knight’s Showrunner Reveals Comic Inspiration for Disney+’s Suit Design

    Like many Marvel characters, Moon Knight has gone through quite a few iterations of costumes in his comic runtime. So, we were all curious how they’d tackle it in the Disney+ series. Luckily once we got our first look, we saw a classic suit combined with elements from Egyptian mythology and the bandages from mummies. Ahead of the second episode’s premiere, showrunner Jeremy Slater revealed that their main inspiration for the design was Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, and Jim Krueger‘s Universe X design, which saw the character wrapped in bandages.

    We’ve heard in the past that the writer’s rooms for the comic adaptations would include ideas and concepts, as they develop the series. Adding in the comic-inspired designs certainly aids in the development process, and it’s great to see the producers lend a supporting hand to bring these iconic comics to life. Director Mohamed Diab revealed how they took the iconic design of Mr. Knight and how they gave it their twist. The decision to make it supernatural was also something that Kevin Feige seemed to love and gave them more freedom to approach it.

    We’re seeing these adaptations embrace their comic roots but combine the varied history to create something unique. While Disney+’s Moon Knight takes iconic images from the original, it feels like a unique take on the original franchise. Especially the designs are embracing different elements, as even Mr. Knight includes new details. Instead of a pure white suit, they added a special kind of material and designs to invoke the character’s Egyptian history. There’s a lot of attention to detail at work here, which just adds to the love and care put into this new branch of the MCU.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Director Reveals Their Unique Take on Mr. Knight

    ‘Moon Knight’ Director Reveals Their Unique Take on Mr. Knight

    If you are avoiding spoilers for Moon Knight, only continue at your own risk as the director reveals a detail from an upcoming episode.

    Director Mohammed Diab sat down with Collider to talk about the upcoming Moon Knight series. He highlights a lot of things about how they had the least reshoots and the freedom that was given to the creative team to make a project that stands out from the rest. In it, he also discussed their approach by introducing Mr. Knight in the series.

    In it, he reveals that Mr. Knight is the design used by Steven Grant, the personality we are initially introduced to in Moon Knight‘s first episode. So, he is no longer a unique personality but rather the costume that he wears when Grant is the one that summons Khonshu’s ability.

    Ironically, we started with Steven having Moon Knight and Marc having Mr. Knight, ironically, but that’s one of the best thing about taking your time and developing things. You start realizing no, no, no, this costume is for this guy. This is what works for them. And we realize what’s the logic.

    Mohamed Diab

    He did highlight that they wanted to make the outfit stick out with the many details it includes. Diab also teased that he summons a suit due to being removed from wherever the original design came from and also has no real connection to “superheroing.” So, it made sense that he’d have a very different costume when forced to summon it. The director did highlight that he was nervous adapting a pure white suit like that due to the difficulties of making it look good on camera.

    And on the other hand, as a director, I was scared a lot more from Mr. Knight’s suit because a white suit like that could look so bad on camera. And it could be silly and it could be weird. But ironically, the moment Oscar stepped in, we felt… it’s very cool. And we actually try to think of moments that we can expand it even more.

    Mohamed Diab

    When the design was first revealed, it certainly had a lot of Moon Knight fans excited. So, its inclusion is definitely a plus, and the fact we get some of the most detailed costume designs in the MCU is a great bonus. It’ll be interesting to see what expansion he is teasing and just how much we get to see him in this costume throughout the series.

    Source: Collider