Moon Knight's introduction of a brand-new hero into the Marvel Cinematic Universe has led to speculation about if this character will eventually join the ranks of the Avengers. The upcoming Marvel series will showcase the debut of Oscar Isaac as the titular vigilante, with him going up against Ethan Hawke's Arthur Harrow.
Although the series is clearly set within the MCU, the show's executive producer, Grant Curtis, unveiled that it will have "no attachment to the current MCU" as he will be "brand-new" and "going on a brand-new adventure."
Still, this didn't stop reports about another Avenger sighting on Moon Knight, with Isaac adding more fuel to the rumors.
It remains to be seen if an Avengers crossover will happen, but Isaac recently shed some light on how his character is different from other notable heroes of the franchise.
Moon Knight Is a 'Different' Avenger
During Moon Knight's virtual press conference, lead star Oscar Isaac explained the difference between joining the MCU as Moon Knight from portraying roles in other major franchises, such as Star Wars and Dune.
Isaac said that the upcoming MCU series presents a "real opportunity to do something completely different" in the MCU:
"I think that there was just -- when I looked at it and we talked -- Grant and Kevin, and Mohamed, as well -- it just seemed like there was a real opportunity to do something completely different, particularly in the MCU, and to really focus on this internal struggle of this character, and to use Egyptian iconography and the superhero genre and this language to talk about this real internal struggle that this person is having. "
The MCU newcomer then shared that his experience of portraying an "unusual" character like Steven Grant led to his conclusion that the series was going to be a "creative adventure:"
"And also to create an indelible, unusual character, particularly with Steven Grant. So it felt like for me once I got a real take on how I wanted to play Steven and I brought that to everyone and they welcomed that with open arms, I also realized I had real, incredible collaborators and it was going to be a creative adventure."
When asked how Marc Spector and Steven Grant are different from the other Avengers, Isaac revealed that it all boils down to the story, with him using the character's dissociative identity disorder as an example by saying that "you're just in the skin of this guy, and you're seeing things happen:"
"Well, I think the story is so point of view. It means that you're just in the skin of this guy, and you're seeing things happen. You're experiencing it just as he's experiencing it. So there's something that's terrifying about that."
Isaac continued by using Steven Grant as an example. The veteran actor shared that the character has a sense of humor "that is different from what we've seen:"
"I think Steven, in particular, there's a sense of humor there that is different from what we've seen. I think Marvel in particular have done such an amazing job at combining action and comedy in such a great way. And I thought with Steven, there was a chance to do a different type of comedy than we've seen of somebody that doesn't know they're funny, doesn't know they're being funny. And so that was really exciting."
Isaac then teased what to expect about Marc Spector, with him describing the character as someone who leans into a "bit of the stereotype of the tortured, dark vigilante, guy:"
"And then to find the counterpoint of that with Marc, in some ways leaning into a bit of the stereotype of the tortured, dark vigilante guy, but what makes him so special is that he has this little Englishman living inside of him."
Will Moon Knight Join the Avengers Soon?
Given that Moon Knight is a new hero, it gives more freedom for Oscar Isaac and the rest of the cast and crew to tackle something different. Doing this allows the series to stand out from other MCU projects, and it's safe to say that it also translates to the lead character.
Marc Spector's dissociative identity disorder is a unique storytelling device, and the trailers already showed how the series would utilize it to its fullest extent. The character's internal struggle is expected to be pushed to the forefront in Moon Knight.
In Moon Knight, Spector's internal struggle will be anchored by Egyptian iconography combined with the superhero genre. However, in a different project where the Avengers could be present, Spector's mental health could be used as a means of showing how Earth's Mightiest Heroes would react to such a condition and how it would be used to send a message of support for those struggling with the same situation.
It is unknown when a full-blown Avengers crossover will happen, but the show's head writer, Jeremy Slater, revealed that he would love to see Moon Knight become a member of the Avengers in the future.
Moon Knight's portrayal of mental health is crucial not just for its current narrative, but it also has the potential to set the tone for future projects that will deal with the same issue.
Moon Knight is set to premiere on Disney+ on March 30.
