Looking back on Marvel Studios' library of Disney+ series, Moon Knight may be the MCU's boldest story to date. Starring Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant, Marc Spector, and Jake Lockley, Moon Knight explored the reality of someone struggling with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), in addition to having superpowers and dealing with ancient Egyptian deities.
Week after week, fans praised Oscar Isaac for his masterful performance of these various personalities and their mental struggles. Leading into the awards season, there's already Emmy buzz for the actor and a campaign in the works.
However, apart from accolades and the generally positive responses, the question is how did those who actually have this disorder react to the series and Isaac's portrayal? Now that Season 1 has concluded, fans are just now finding out.
Oscar Isaac Was "Moved" by DID Patients' Moon Knight Response
In an interview with Gold Derby, Oscar Isaac revealed how patients with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) have responded to Moon Knight, saying "they feel really seen and represented" and that he, himself, has been "very moved by some of those responses:"
“I’ve heard from quite a few systems actually… which is the term for people with the DID and the system that holds the alters and they feel really seen and represented specifically. And then also people that don’t necessarily have disassociative identity disorder, but have suffered different traumas through their life, different battles with mental health that… we could use a platform this massive to tell a story about that… I’ve been very moved by some of those responses and really gratified, because that was the goal."
Due to the role that mental health played in Moon Knight, accuracy was of the utmost importance.
In addition to Marvel Studios bringing in psychiatrists to consult with the show's actors and directors, before the series debuted, Oscar Isaac expressed his own commitment to honesty and authenticity in telling this particular story. From the feedback he's received, it sounds as if the actor succeeded.
In addition to this effort for accuracy, Isaac and the show's creators also showed respect in that mental health, trauma, and DID were kept as the central focus of Moon Knight, despite the show's use of mystical powers and even a talking hippo.
And, according to the actor, that focus was absolutely necessary, saying,
"That more than anything for me, it was like, if we’re going to talk about this, then we have to make the whole thing really about that, you know? And even the wilder elements, the fantasy elements… we should be able to connect them so that they can be seen as symbols for the internal struggle that’s happening.”
Oscar Isaac's Moon Knight Goals
While, again, Moon Knight embraced fantasy and mythology, there was a conscious effort to use those elements as tools to tell and further Marc Spector's story.
After all, if it wasn't for Marc Spector's afterlife mental hospital experience - and the hippo goddess of Taweret - he may never have faced his past trauma, and the audience wouldn't have come to understand the root cause of his DID.
It was also great to hear that Oscar Isaac viewed the role and his character's condition as a responsibility as opposed to an opportunity. The fact that the individuals he wanted to represent have responded positively is a huge win, and it also proves that Marvel Studios picked the right actor for this particular project.
Even though audiences will have to wait and see if Oscar Isaac receives an Emmy nomination for his performances in Moon Knight, the question now is if Season 2 of Moon Knight is, in fact, in the stars. While that too remains to be seen, fans are expecting to hear more about Marvel Studios' upcoming plans during Disney+ Day or at the D23 Expo this September.
All episodes of Season 1 of Moon Knight are available to stream on Disney+.
