Why Moon Knight Is the Marvelous Hero You Need
Moon Knight: A Marvelous Hero
Why is Moon Knight the Marvelous hero you need to learn about now? Moon Knight is a long-time mid-level Marvel Comics character that made his debut way back in 1975. He originally appeared as a villain in Werewolf by Night.
Moon Knight popularity grew beyond supporting character over the next five years. Following guest stints in the pages of Spider-Man, The Defenders and Hulk, Moon Knight finally landed his own solo book in 1980.
That’s all well and good you might say but why should you care?
For starters, Moon Knight is due to get the live action treatment on Disney+ on March 30th. That is awesome news for fans of the character but what truly stands out is the social impact that a diverse character like Moon Knight brings.
Moon Knight marks the first Hero of Jewish decent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He will also be the first live action Marvel Hero that struggles with a serious Mental Health diagnosis.
Moon Knight is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder or (DID) (also know as Multiple Personality Disorder). What started as a “personality quirk” in early issues evolved over time as the societal stigma surrounding Mental Health also evolved. This factor alone makes Moon Knight one of the most interesting Marvel superheroes thanks in large part to his unique backstory.
To better prepare for his Disney+ debut let’s journey together as we highlight who Moon Knight is and why you should care.
Moon Knight’s Marvelous Origins
Created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin; Marc Spector is Moon Knight, a soldier of fortune with a sordid past. Due to the DID diagnosis he also identifies as millionaire playboy Steven Grant and hard-luck cabbie Jake Lockley.
Recently Moon Knight also added a persona named Mr. Knight to his list of aliases. Mr. Knight is a dapper gentleman who dresses in three-piece suits, dons a tight-fitting white mask, and kicks some serious Ass.
Despite multiple clashes with upper tier Marvel characters Moon Knight consistently remained a supporting comic book character at best. He had many solo series over the last 40 years but none had longevity with most ending before 40 issues.
Moon Knight serves mostly as a supporting role in company-wide crossovers and he even had a short membership with the West Coast Avengers.
Despite his lot in comics, Moon Knight became one of the more interesting Marvel superheroes, and garnered a dedicated cult following to boot. This was in large part to his unorthodox origin and backstory.
A Hero That Breaks Down Walls
Spector struggles with DID or multiple personality disorder but that doesn’t stop him from being a highly effective crime fighter.
Whether as an agent of the moon god Khonshu or as the Fist of Khonshu, Moon Knight defends those traveling under the moon.
Moon Knight was mostly a noir or detective comic in his early days. In fact, Moon Knight was “Marvel’s Batman” in large part because of his immense wealth, high-tech weaponry and mystical powers. This moniker is a bit of a stretch as the difference between the two far outweigh the similarities.
While Moon Knight has consistently operated in the Comic Book shadows, he’s never been a household name. Until now he never had the grand exposure that makes people outside of comic book circles take notice.
That all changed of course when Marvel announced Moon Knight was getting his own series on Disney+. It’s exciting because this not only expands Moon Knight to the masses but also sheds light on his Mental Health struggles in a non-derogatory way.
Live Action Adventures
Deviating from the comic, Oscar Isaac will play gift shop employee Steven Grant.
Set in London, Isaac’s role of Grant is described as a sleep-deprived loner who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. Grant is haunted by delusions of a figure known as Marc Spector in the live action Disney+ series. The question is, are they delusions… or are they memories?
When asked by Reuters about portraying such a complex Hero, Isaac stated “That was part of the challenge and the excitement of taking this on, the opportunity to show so many facets of one individual and really explore in a literal and symbolic way the different identities that he has.”
Isaac went on to say, “The emotional reality of struggling with this disorder and not only that, but the journey of healing from abuse and trauma, that really became the central orienting theme of the whole thing. Everything you see, including the really crazy symbolic imagery, is an expression of that internal struggle.”
Moon Knight Is The Hero The World Needs
Disney is championing Moon Knight which speaks volumes about the societal acceptance toward Mental Health as a whole.
Not long ago a mainstream Hero like Moon Knight would not be possible.
There is no doubt that the Disney+ series will stay true to who Moon Knight is while remaining respectful of his internal Mental Health battles.
So, who is Moon Knight and why should you care?
Moon Knight is progress. He represents what is possible when anything is possible. He is a Hero.
Moon Knight debuts on Disney+ on March 30. Mohamed Diab directed the six-episode series, with Jeremy Slater serving as head writer. Both join Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Grant Curtis, Brad Winderbaum, and Oscar Isaac as executive producers.
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