Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead reveal working in the horror genre influenced their work on Disney+’s upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe show Moon Knight. While past MCU shows have centered on characters fans already know, Moon Knight is set to introduce a new, unconventional vigilante in the six-episode series. Moon Knight will star Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector, a U.S. marine/mercenary who becomes a superhero after making a deal with Egyptian moon god Khonshu—which also results in him developing dissociative identity disorder. In addition to Isaac, Moon Knight stars Ethan Hawke as its villain.

Earlier this month, Marvel Studios dropped the first Moon Knight trailer. Despite Marc Spector being Moon Knight’s most well-known identity, his name isn’t heard until the end of the trailer. Isaac’s character is first introduced as Steven Grant, "a mild-mannered gift shop employee" who discovers he has DID after struggling with blackouts and hallucinations. For example, a shot in the trailer sees Isaac’s character being stalked by a monster - only for it to turn out to be an elderly woman. The Umbrella Academy’s Jeremy Slater serves as Moon Knight's head writer, with Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab leading the directing team, which includes Benson and Moorhead.

Related: How Moon Knight's Mythology Will Be Different From Thor & Eternals'

While discussing their reality-wrapping, sci-fi thriller, Something In The Dirt, with The Playlist, Benson and Moorhead touched upon Moon Knight. The directing duo compared working on Disney+’s Moon Knight to that of Netflix’s supernatural series Archive 81, saying they didn’t find the filmmaking experience drastically different. The pair are often recruited for projects that are in their wheelhouse of strange. That said, the directors’ previous work very much inspired Moon Knight. Read the full quote below:

“The phone also isn’t ringing to go do [things like] Two And A Half Men,” laughed Moorhead. "It’s stuff that’s kind of like what we already do. Archive 81 definitely shares DNA with [our previous films] The Endless and Resolution. You’ll see with same with Moon Knight.”

The character of Moon Knight has often been compared to DC’s Batman due to similarities akin to wealthy vigilantes who stalk the night using Moonrangs/Batarangs. Additionally, like Moon Knight’s recent trailer, the comics have frequently have told the story from an unreliable perspective, leaving readers struggling to figure out what's real. Moon Knight will surprise even those familiar with the source material as “Steven Grant” isn’t one of Marc's identities in the comics—there’s no telling how many different identities Marc will have in the show.

Moon Knight will obviously spend a lot of time exploring Marc's DID, which will likely set up a plethora of twists further complicated by Hawke’s villain. While the latter character is not named in the trailer, it was previously the villain was inspired by the cult leader David Koresh. With Archive 81, The Endless, and Resolution, Moorhead and Benson are no strange to narratives revolving around mysterious cults and the paranormal. As of late, Marvel Studios has attached horror aficionados to a variety of upcoming projects, including director Sam Raimi and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Moon Knight appears poised to be Marvel Studios’ first step towards a darker, more terrifying MCU comprised of vampires, Blade, a Sorcerer Supreme, and Moon Knight, possibly leading to the Midnight Sons.

More: Why MCU Phase 4 Is So Much Darker Than Phases 1-3

Source: The Playlist

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