Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater responds to all the Batman comparisons the Marvel character inspires and shuts them down at the same time. Next up on the MCU's ever-growing release calendar is Moon Knight, a limited Disney+ series starring Oscar Isaac. Isaac plays the eponymous hero, who by day goes by the name Steven Grant, among others. Steven is one of the personalities residing inside mercenary Marc Spector, though based on the Moon Knight trailers revealed so far, it looks like the show will begin with Steven firmly in control.
With so many superheroes leading their own projects these days, it's inevitable that comparisons would be drawn between those with similar skillsets. From Superman and Eternals' Ikaris to the Flash and Quicksilver, DC and Marvel in particular lend themselves easily to this kind of debate. In the case of Moon Knight, many have likened him to Batman because of his status as a cowl-wearing, caped vigilante with a darker streak. In the comics, Moon Knight has even engaged in some playboy behavior like Bruce Wayne occasionally does.
When approaching Moon Knight, head writer Jeremy Slater was all too aware of the similarities between his Marvel character and Batman. However, as he told Empire (via IGN), those hardly factored into how the Disney+ series depicts Moon Knight. This was mainly because Slater wasn't interested in seeing something like that play out. He said:
"It was never a comparison I was interested in making. Batman has an 80-year head start on us: you're not going to beat Batman at his own game. We've seen that side of Moon Knight [in some comics] as a playboy philanthropist, throwing moon-shaped boomerangs, flying around in a moon-shaped plane, but I don't think that's the coolest possible version of the character."
When it comes to the MCU, Marc Spector is a unique hero. As Moon Knight, he got his powers through a blessing from the Egyptian moon god Khonshu, which enables him to fight for the innocent. Moon Knight the show is taking on a very different tone when compared to other Marvel projects, instead choosing to go darker and more brutal. In a way, it isn't dissimilar from another March superhero event - The Batman. Though, as Slater pointed out, those Batman comparisons don't matter much here.
Regardless of how he might resemble another superhero, Moon Knight can stand on his own, and he will do just that in his solo series. Slater and the rest of the creative team chose to dig beneath the basic elements of Moon Knight's characterization to find something that can separate him from the pack, and it'll be interesting to see how he comes to life on the show. Moon Knight can offer something different to the MCU, so it's a good thing the wait for its premiere won't stretch on for much longer.
Moon Knight premieres Wednesday, March 30 on Disney+.
Source: Empire (via IGN)
