Trivia / Moon Knight (2022)

• Acting for Two: Subverted. Oscar Isaac acts for all three alters of the system. They share a body, but on the psychic plane they present as separate people.
• Actor-Inspired Element:
  • Oscar Isaac had a hand in shaping much of the characterization of Marc Spector and his alters. His Jewish heritage and fluency in Spanish are shared with Marc and Jake respectively, and the decision to give Steven Grant a dodgy English accent based off dialects historically associated with Jewish parts of London such as Enfield was his idea. Furthermore, he threw himself into doing research about Dissociative Identity Disorder so he could give a more accurate portrayal of someone suffering from it compared to most Hollywood productions.
  • Ethan Hawke came up with Arthur Harrow's introductory scene in the first episode, inspired by full-page drawings devoted to the villain that he saw in many comic books. He wanted to emulate the self-loathing spiritual people have of their own sin, and how they inflict harm on themselves in an attempt to atone, which Harrow does by putting broken glass in his shoes. He also had a hand in shaping the scene between him and Layla in the fourth episode.
• Actor-Shared Background:
  • Marc's passport lists his birthday as March 9th, the same month and day as his actor Oscar Isaac, who was born on March 9, 1979. Marc was born March 9, 1987.
  • Layla shares her birthday, October 28, with her actress. Layla was born in 1994, while May Calamawy was born in 1986.
  • The Stinger of the sixth episode has Jake Lockley speaking entirely in Gratuitous Spanish, something his comic counterpart couldn't do, but Spanish is one of Oscar Isaac's native tongues.
• Approval of God:
  • Declan Shalvey, artist of the iconic 2014 run written by Warren Ellis, has been excitedly tweeting and retweeting news about the series as it comes in. He's especially giddy about the cues from his artwork the show has been taking, particularly at seeing the Mr. Knight persona.
  • Bill Sienkiewicz, artist of Moon Knight's first regular ongoing series, thinks the show is pretty great. He also appreciated the Mythology Gag towards him in the series finale.
• Author's Saving Throw: As the comics' inconsistent handling of Dissociative Identity Disorder has tended to fall under Fair for Its Day more often than not, one of the stated goals of the show by Oscar Isaac was to depict Marc's DID in a more empathetic and less sensationalized manner than is typical of previous depictions of the condition.
• Awesome, Dear Boy:
  • Ethan Hawke ended up joining the series due to being curious about the relative obscurity of Moon Knight compared to other superhero franchises. Both he and Oscar Isaac also saw the show as an opportunity to go wild with some of their craziest ideas for their characters, many of which got incorporated into the show.
  • Isaac, who had collected comics when he was younger, was also intrigued by the fact that he had never heard of Moon Knight before the initial pitch. He was initially very reluctant to join another big action franchise after his experiences with the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but agreed after learning about the character and becoming fascinated with the heavy psychological aspects involved.
  • F. Murray Abraham had been good friends with Oscar Isaac after working on a Shakespeare production with him, and ended up becoming part of this show because of that friendship. He also was very invested in Khonshu's bombastic Jerk with a Heart of Gold personality, and over the span of a few days experimented with several different voices and interpretations of the character to perfect his portrayal.
• California Doubling: Much of this show was shot in Budapest, despite the main settings being England and Egypt. Several other countries also doubled for those areas, including Slovenia and Jordan. Parts of the production were also conducted at Marvel's own Pinewood Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Cowboy BeBop at His Computer: Honest Trailers listed out the three personalities played by Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant, Marc Spector and Khonshu. Not only is Marc Spector’s third personality not Khonshu (it’s Jake Lockley), he is not played by Oscar Isaac either (discounting a brief scene in the third episode where Khonshu speaks through Marc's body). Khonshu is a deity and is voiced by F. Murray Abraham.
• Creator Cameo: Director Mohammed Diab appears in the sixth episode as one of Harrow's followers who judges and kills a random Egyptian citizen (himself played by producer Grant Curtis) during the climax.
• Creator's Favorite: According to Mohammed Diab, Oscar Isaac considers this show to be the project he's most proud of in his career.
• Dawson Casting: Both Oscar Isaac and May Calamawy are eight years older than their characters, Marc Spector/Steven Grant and Layla El-Faouly.
• Deleted Scene: invoked A scene of Steven and Marc seamlessly switching between one another and finally confronting their mother in a white void over her abuse was cut out of the final episode late in production, with one early screenshot◊ released as to what it might've looked like. According to Oscar Isaac, said scene would have also underscored the thematic parallels between Wendy and Ammit.
• Diagnosis of God:
  • While the protagonists are never explicitly stated in-show to have Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder), it is overwhelmingly obvious that it is the intent of their portrayal, and numerous interviews from behind the scenes openly discuss it by name.
  • Oscar Isaac has stated in interviews that Steven Grant is meant to be seen as being on the autism spectrum, as can be seen by his honesty, moments of social awkwardness, and passion for Egyptian history.
• Dyeing for Your Art: Oscar Isaac went through an intense combat training regimen in order to make Moon Knight's fighting look as legitimate as possible.
• Executive Meddling: invoked The reason why this show is primarily based in England and Egypt is because higher-ups in Marvel Studios wanted to move away from the usual setting of New York City, due to how many superheroes inhabit the area in the MCU. This ended up working out for the best, as the different settings of London and Cairo have helped this miniseries better stand out among its contemporaries in the MCU.
• Executive Veto: Jeremy Slater mentioned in an interview that Marvel Studios vetoed any references to or mentions of Gorr the God Butcher that the writers had contemplated including.
• Fake Brit: The Guatemalan-American Oscar Isaac plays Steven Grant with an English accent.
• Flip-Flop of God: Marvel Studios has gone back and forth on whether or not Moon Knight will be "only" a limited miniseries (i.e., Wandavision) or will have a second season (i.e., Loki (2021)). In February 2021, Kevin Feige claimed in an interview that some of Marvel's Disney+ series (i.e., Moon Knight and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) were being developed with the potential to have additional seasons made. A year later in 2022, Oscar Issac said that it would be a limited series, but later on that same year Mohamed Diab (one of the show's directors and producers) stated that he was unsure whether the series would continue or not. The limited miniseries option seems to be more likely considering how there was no Stinger after the final episode claiming "Moon Knight will return" along with the show being submitted in the various "limited series" categories for the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards.
• Inspiration for the Work: Jeremy Slater, the head writer for the show, cited both Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones as major influences for the show, particularly in regards to their horror elements. Executive producer Grant Curtis also noted how Kevin Feige drew on a childhood experience with visiting a globetrotting Egyptian art exhibit in Manhattan and being fascinated by the architecture on display there.
• In Memoriam: The third episode is dedicated to Gaspard Ulliel, who passed away two months before the series premiered.
• Making Use of the Twin: Oscar Isaac's brother Mike Hernandez acted as a stand-in during the scenes where the various alters converse with one another, in order to invoke a genuine connection with whom he was speaking with. He also makes an on screen appearance (his back, at least) in episode 4.
• Meaningful Release Date:
  • The first teaser for the show was released on January 17, 2022, a Monday (or "Moon Day") night with a full moon.
  • The final episode was released on the 4rd of May, the day after the birthday of Moon Knight artist Bill Sienkiewicz.
• Meme Acknowledgment:
  • In an interview on a podcast, Jeremy Slater admitted that he desperately tried to find ways to fit in as many Moon Knight memes (i.e. "Dracula, you big fucking nerd", "Random bullshit, GO!!") as he could into the show.
  • Oscar Isaac attempted to sneak in a meme reference during the scene in which Marc takes control of the body for a split second to punch Steven in the face, saying "Ah fuck, I can't believe you've done this" in several takes. Isaac had hoped Disney would allow one F-bomb in the same way PG-13 movies are generally allowed one, but a different take without the meme dialogue was ultimately used.
• Method Acting: Oscar Isaac often continued to speak with Steven's English accent when filming the London scenes.
• Missing Trailer Scene: A shot where Marc/Steven is falling from a height in the Alps is never seen in the show.
• Money, Dear Boy: In an interview promoting a documentary on Paul Newman he directed, Ethan Hawke said that he ultimately accepted his role on the show because "You still have to put food on the table," and rationalized his decision after asking himself what Newman would do, as Newman hated doing The Towering Inferno but also did it for the money.
• Newbie Boom: The show is credited with bringing in a new wave of fans of the Moon Knight comics, since the character is one of Marvel's more obscure superheroes.
• The Other Marty: The first Brazilian trailer had Oscar Isaac's usual dubber Philippe Maia, but the second changed to his eventual voice actor Fernando Mendonça. The change was probably helped by how Maia had already been Daredevil and Mysterio in the MCU.
• Playing Against Type: Ethan Hawke, known primarily for playing heroic characters in horror, sci-fi, and indie films, portrays a Big Bad that is fascinated with and embodies the history of Egyptian mythology in his first comic book adaptation.
• Posthumous Credit: French actor Gaspard Ulliel, who plays Anton Mogart / Midnight Man, died on January 19, 2022 from cranial trauma following a ski accident in the French Alps. The series premiered in March of that year.
• Produced by Cast Member: Oscar Isaac is credited as an executive producer in addition to playing the lead role.
• Real Song Theme Tune:
  • Episode 2 ends with الملوك "El-Melouk" (Arabic for "The Kings"), a rap by Ahmed Saad featuring 3enba & Double Zuksh.
  • Episode 3 ends with a trap remix of Warda Al-Jazairia's "Batwanes Beek", done by DJ KABOO. The same song also plays during the title card and opening scene.
• Recycled Set: Used for dramatic purposes. Doctor Harrow's monumental office room is actually the same set as the attic storeroom in the second episode, redressed to a point where it's nearly unrecognizable. This works as yet another implication of how the two worlds influence one another.
• Serendipity Writes the Plot: The small bandage with a red scarab on it that Layla wears on her pinky at the end of episode 4 was for a mishap May Calamawy sustained on-set that led to a broken finger.
• Shrug of God: Mohamed Diab has been pretty vague about what was real and what was all in Marc/Steven's head throughout the show. He even admitted that he once pitched to Kevin Feige a reveal that the entire MCU was all in Steven's head.
• So My Kids Can Watch:
  • Oscar Isaac has said that he decided to take the role when he showed Moon Knight to his son and he thought the costume looked cool.
  • Ethan Hawke noted after the series ended that it was Maya Hawke who ultimately made him sign onto Moon Knight, as she had expressed interest in seeing her father showing what he had to offer in the MCU.
• Throw It In!: Jeremy Slater revealed that he wanted Taweret in after seeing a laminated poster of all the Egyptian gods, which she was in, to the point that he basically asked the other writers, "What do we have to do to get the hippo in the show?"
• Troubled Production: As shown in an article by The Hollywood Reporter, there was more behind-the-scenes drama on this show than was expected. In particular, Jeremy Slater, the writer of this show, quit the project at some point, leaving director Mohammed Diab in charge of most of the show's story.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Oscar Isaac was initially quite hesitant to be part of this show and the MCU overall after his experiences with the Star Wars sequel trilogy, wanting to do smaller films and character studies. However, Isaac became intrigued with Steven Grant, and ultimately signed on after discussing some ideas for the character with Kevin Feige and realizing how much creative freedom he would get with his portrayal of Moon Knight.
  • The first two episodes were originally to be set in New York, but the setting was changed to London to get away from Marvel's tendency to have everything in New York. Tying into that, Steven Grant was planned to be American like his comic counterpart, with the main difference between him and Marc Spector being in his attitude and personality. However, once the location changed, Oscar Isaac suggested the idea of Grant having an accent to make him more distinct, and so it was incorporated into the show.
  • Marvel executives had made plans for Echo to appear on the show as a love interest. To the relief of the show's writing staff, the executives backed off on these plans and introduced the character in Hawkeye instead.
  • Jeremy Slater had an idea for an episode cold open showing a previous avatar of Khonshu in ancient Egyptian times teaming up with some of the Eternals, but this idea was dropped partly out of concerns for how expensive it would be, and partly to keep the focus on Marc and Steven.
    • On the same note, he revealed that a Dane Whitman cameo was considered early on as the character's career at the Natural History Museum was a natural inclusion, but ultimately dropped due to Slater feeling the character deserved more than a brief appearance.
  • Creatives initially planned to have Layla become the avatar of Isis, which is still apparent in some of her costume's details. According to Mohamed Diab, they changed their mind and paired her off with Taweret instead, because their vastly different personalities promised a livelier, more entertaining dynamic.
  • Bushman was initially going to be featured as the Big Bad of the series rather than simply being mentioned in the show proper, but Jeremy Slater requested to Marvel that he be scrapped for a myriad of reasons. This was due to the character having been subject to a lot of negative stereotypes and controversy over the years, the fact that he would be a Hopeless Boss Fight for Steven but subject to a Curb-Stomp Battle to Marc Spector, and ultimately had too much in common with Erik Killmonger to be interesting. However, Jeremy Slater would state in an interview that it's still possible for Bushman to appear at some point.
  • Slater also looked at Stained Glass Scarlet and Zodiac as potential villains before deciding on Arthur Harrow.
  • According to the Assembled making-of special, production originally had Marc have the Mr. Knight suit while Steven had the regular Moon Knight one. But once Oscar Isaac gave Steven a British accent, they came to realize that Mr. Knight fit the character better (since he would be the kind of guy to admire classy, well-dressed heroes like James Bond) and switched them.
  • Earlier drafts of the script had references to Gorr the God Butcher in order to reference the character's appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder, but it was ultimately rejected by Marvel executives due to believing that they would be distracting and unnecessary to this series' story; and also because shifting release dates meant that production didn't know whether they should be referring to Gorr's actions in the past or present tense.
  • Jake Lockley was originally going to be introduced a lot sooner in an earlier draft of the script, but he was ultimately regulated to appearing in The Stinger, as Mohammed Diab felt that Jake wasn't fleshed out enough to be an active part in the ongoing story.
  • Episode 6 was originally going to be longer and more methodically-paced, but editor Cedric Nairn-Smith mentions having cut the episode down to make it more similar to The Boys (2019), a decision which he came to have mixed feelings on. Likewise, some of the scenes were going to be ordered very differently. Per cinematographer Gregory Middleton, the scene of Marc and Steven switching instantaneously in Harrow's office and realizing the deception was meant to take place in the middle of the episode rather than the end, after they reached the gates of Osiris and immediately before their resurrection in the real world, with them having realized that the hospital was an artificial construct, and that Steven's line of "We'd rather go save the world" was in reference to their stopping Harrow in Cairo the first time around rather than the Orphaned Reference it ends up being in the final version. As it is, that scene ends up replacing the above-mentioned Deleted Scene of Marc and Steven confronting an apparition of their mother, who doubled as a stand-in for Ammit, which was the true intended climax of the show.
• Word of God:
  • Jeremy Slater confirmed on Twitter that the golden statue street performer Steven vents to is Moon Knight comics supporting character Bertrand Crawley.
  • After some confusion about the original status of the show's female lead, both Jeremy Slater and Mohamed Diab clarified that Marlene Alraune was never intended to be Marc's love interest, and that only Layla's name and the fact that she was originally conceived as half-Egyptian changed.
• Working Title: According to Mohamed Diab, it was Good Faith.
• You Look Familiar: Rey Lucas, the actor for Elias Spector, previously portrayed a random Brooklyn detective in Luke Cage.
• You Sound Familiar:
  • In the Japanese dub, Tomokazu Seki (the titular hero) has already done voice work in the MCU, including Sonny Burch in Ant-Man and the Wasp and Rick Mason in Black Widow (2021).
  • In a similar way, in the Latin American Spanish dub, Héctor Emmanuel Gómez, who voices the titular hero, previously voiced young Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger and Agent Carter. José Antonio Macías (Arthur Harrow) is also the dub voice of Captain America and Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2. Also, Fernanda Robles (Layla) previously voiced Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

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