Ethan Hawke reveals new details about his mysterious Moon Knight villain, Arthur Harrow. The upcoming MCU Phase 4 Disney+ series will be the first live-action portrayal of the titular superhero, played by Oscar Isaac. Moon Knight will run for six episodes and is set to debut on March 30, concluding just in time for the May 6 release of the franchise's next feature film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Created by Jeremy Slater and directed by both Mohamed Diab and cosmic-horror duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, Moon Knight follows protagonist Marc Spector as he becomes the conduit for the Egyptian mood god, Khonshu, voiced by F. Murray Abraham. Spector is an American mercenary with Dissociative Identity Disorder, a rare psychological condition that has caused him to develop at least one alternate identity: Steven Grant, a British gift-shop employee depicted in the show's trailers. Steven begins the series suffering from blackouts and memories of Marc's life, and his inner turmoil is only exacerbated by his encounters with Arthur Harrow, a zealous cult leader.

Related: Why Moon Knight's Portrayal Of His Mental Illness Will Be Crucial

Now, as the Moon Knight release date approaches, Hawke reveals in an interview with USA Today how he conceived of his villain character. Described as a follower of the Egyptian god Ammit, known as the devourer of the dead, Harrow comes to see the show's titular hero as an obstacle to his righteous but deadly mission. Teasing the character's true nature, Hawke explains that he based his performance on a surprising mix of real-life figures, before boiling it down to a famously charismatic personality used for evil. Check out his comments below:

For me, it was like putting Jimmy Swaggart, Leo Tolstoy, (Fidel) Castro, the Dalai Lama and Josef Mengele into a blender. That was the fun of it: What if Steve Jobs was a bad guy?

Moon Knight Villain Arthur Harrow Ethan Hawke

Hawke's real-life referents suggest a dangerous combination of intellect, the ability to inspire devotion from followers, and - with the inclusion of Josef Mengele, Auschwitz's Angel of Death - a bottomless capacity for evil. A new Moon Knight featurette video shows Harrow using a staff, suggesting he wields a certain amount of magical power along with his compelling personality. How exactly he will interact with Moon Knight remains to be seen, though the footage released so far seems to indicate he will try and encourage Marc to tap into his inner-darkness.

Anticipation for the Moon Knight series is high, and not only because fans have been waiting awhile for a live-action adaptation of the character. Isaac and Hawke are two very acclaimed performers to be adding to the MCU's roster, and the involvement of Benson and Moorhead has prospective viewers wondering if Marvel Studios is looking to branch out into the horror genre. If so, Moon Knight should be a perfect primer for Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which reportedly contains a number of horror elements.

Next: Moon Knight Can Horrifically Set Up Thor 4's Villain

Source: USA Today

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