Marvel’s latest revolutionary project, Moon Knight, opened up a brand new and exciting door for the Marvel universe that had never been explored before. With Hollywood star Oscar Isaac leading the production, the show proved to be an instant hit with audiences worldwide. The series followed Isaac’s Marc Spector and Steven Grant, a Dissociative Identity Disorder system as they go about trying to stop the death of millions with the help of the Egyptian god that they serve.
Moon Knight brought many important topics that Marvel had yet to explore to the forefront such as Isaac’s portrayal of DID and the long-overdue representation of Egyptian culture and identities on-screen. Not only this but many aspects of the show also went viral on various social media platforms such as its soundtrack and several lines of its dialogue. The undeniable success that Moon Knight saw left fans and audiences craving more of the characters and their storylines whether that be through a second season or an appearance in the wider MCU. However, whilst fans patiently wait for the news of Moon Knight’s return, the recent episode of Marvel’s Assembled: The Making Of Moon Knight, allowed audiences to get a deeper insight into the intricate ins and outs of the series. So let’s take a look at some interesting tidbits and behind-the-scenes secrets from The Making Of Moon Knight.
8 This Was The Main Focus Of The Series From The Get-Go
As fans delve deeper and deeper into the series, the concept of Ancient Egyptian mythology and the culture behind Egyptology becomes more and more apparent and at the forefront of the show. During the Moon Knight edition of Assembled, several key players of the team behind Moon Knight highlighted how important this concept had been as not only did they want to accurately represent the comics that came before but also bring in a new and exciting spectacle that had never previously been explored in the MCU.
Moon Knight’s executive producer Grant Curtis highlighted, “If you look at his origin story in the comics, it’s very Egyptology-centric and I do think that’s what makes this different and unique. That was something that Kevin [Feige] brought up really early on in the development process.”
7 This Is Why 'Moon Knight' Was A Stand-Alone Project
Unlike the rest of Marvel’s phase 4, during the entire first season of Moon Knight, there were no explicit mentions of the wider MCU or the events that occurred in Marvel’s previous films and shows. Apart from a few Easter eggs here and there, the lack of acknowledgment of any Avengers-based topics was completely intentional and actually served as a way to push the story further without any pre-existing boundaries.
6 Oscar Isaac Had Been Approached By Marvel Way Before 'Moon Knight'
It is undeniable that the leading man of the series, Oscar Isaac, truly knocked his portrayal of Marc Spector/ Steven Grant/ Jake Lockley completely out of the park. His exceptional performance of a DID system in the show has been praised by fans and critics over the world, and thus it is also undeniable that he truly had been the perfect choice for the role. However, prior to starring as the new mercenary-turned-avatar, Isaac had actually been approached by Marvel many times to join the gigantic cinematic universe. During a particular moment in Assembled, Marvel’s frontman, Kevin Feige, highlighted this as he stated that despite having approached Isaac several times in the past, there had never really been a right fit in Marvel for the actor until Moon Knight came along.
5 This Is How Oscar Isaac Prepared For The Role
Judging by the deep complexity of the character of Marc Spector and his alters, and the brilliant performance that Isaac was able to give, it’s clear that an immense amount of preparation had to be taken to ensure this. During a particular moment in Assembled, Isaac himself went into a deep dive into all the ways that he prepared for the role. He outlined how research into DID had been his first priority and even explicitly mentioned some of the books that aided him in familiarizing himself with the disorder.
Isaac stated, “There’s an incredible book by Robert Oxnam called A Fractured Mind, and that ended up being like my bible to me because this is someone who didn’t realize he had DID until he was in his forties.”
4 This Is How Oscar Isaac Influenced The Character Of Steven Grant
At the very beginning of the series, fans are introduced to the show through the eyes of the adorably dorky Brit, Steven Grant. Whether you love it or hate it, it's undeniable that his slightly Oliver Twist British accent and mannerisms became a huge staple of the character. However, what many may not know about the sweet alter is that the idea of making him the nerdy Brit that we see on-screen actually came from Isaac himself as the character had previously been written as American. During a moment in Assembled, Isaac highlighted this as he stated that after having seen that the first few episodes were going to be set in London, he began playing around with the accent. Isaac then went on to highlight how he had completely fallen in love with the character of Steven and even stayed in character in between takes.
3 A Switcheroo Of The Suits
During the span of the show we see both alters, Marc and Steven, take on their own unique costumes when summoning the Moon Knight powers. Whilst Marc’s Moon Knight costume is more traditional and based around the Egyptian god that he serves, Steven’s Mr. Knight costume is a more modernized gentleman’s three-piece all-white suit. The suits actively represent the individual characters that don them in their own respective ways however as Isaac pointed out, they were actually supposed to be the other way round. During a moment in Assembled, the actor stated that, originally, Marc was supposed to be the one donning the Mr. Knight Suit whilst Steven had the Moon Knight costume. However, after Isaac’s brilliant characterization of Steven as a British gentleman, the showrunners realized that he would be best fitted to wear the Mr. Knight outfit.
2 A Brother And A Body Double
Once the series hits the end of its fourth episode, we see Marc and Steven finally come face to face in their own bodies. Of course, this scenario would be physically impossible to film as both characters are portrayed by Isaac and thus a body double had to be employed to achieve the essence of the scene. However, it was no random body double that came in to take the roles beside Isaac, but actually, the actor’s very own journalist brother Michael Hernández.
1 The Introduction Of Marvel’s First Egyptian Superhero
In the finale of the show, Marc’s wife and badass female lead, Layla (May Calamawy) transforms into Marvel’s very first on-screen Egyptian superhero, The Scarlet Scarab. However, this was not always where the character was going to be headed. Towards the end of the Assembled documentary, Moon Knight’s visionary director Mohamed Diab outlined how the character eventually became the hero.
He stated, “The show didn’t start with the Scarlet Scarab. But seeing May and developing her as an Egyptian character, step by step the idea came up. Let’s make her into a superhero.” Before later adding, “Right now Marvel is the world to a lot of people. Kids, teens. To be part of that world means that you exist. Representation really. Having someone like this on screen, defending good, that’s the kind of story that brings people together.”
