They Gave Us Room and Space’: Moon Knight Editor Explains Why Moon Knight is Better Than Other MCU Shows
With a universe as vast as the MCU, it becomes hard to keep track of everything all at once. The beginning of it all with Iron Man in 2008 is set in stone. It was the final stone thrown into the bleak dark by wary hands and cynical minds. But the success that the film brought had bought the studio the breath of life it needed to resurrect on surer grounds. The projects that followed kept bringing more life into the industry and with it, figureheads like Feige rose to prominence. A producer in origin, he would become much more in the years to come. And the Moon Knight editor said as much.
Moon Knight Synopsis
The brand new Disney+ series is not just fresh in terms of birth but also content. Marvel has exceeded fans’ expectations with the series, making it another major success. The series features Oscar Isaac as Moon Knight, Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow, and May Calamawy as Scarlet Scarab. Points for Marvel for grabbing three of the biggest names in the movie industry.
Moon Knight stars Oscar Isaac in the leading role of Marc Spector/ Steven Grant/ Jake Lockley. However, they are not simply aliases like spies use to get by while undercover. The protagonist suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder and switches between his alter-egos whenever he is stuck in a situation that needs getting out of. However, as he progresses in the story, his mental health deteriorates and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish the fine line between reality and fiction.
Ethan Hawke delivers a perfect portrayal of the antagonist Arthur Harrow who’s also a servant of Ahmet. May Calamawy brings inclusivity to the cast with her Egyptian ancestry as she is cast in the role of Layla, an archaeologist’s daughter.
What Sets This Series Apart?
One might think DID is a heavy subject and that Marvel has never tried anything remotely close to heroes with mental illnesses. But one is wrong. We have time and again seen mental health issues being raised to the forefront in MCU movies and series. Tony has struggled with substance abuse, severe anxiety, and panic attacks. Bucky has suffered almost similarly to Marc/Steven with disassociation. But those themes were always in the background. They helped build the tragic past of the characters but never contributed to the plot itself.
Moon Knight dealt with the themes head-on. The DID wasn’t just an element that gave our hero his tragic origin story. It was rooted in every DNA of the plot and it helped move the plot along. What helped more was the liberty that Marvel studio head Kevin Feige and the producers of Moon Knight gave to the series editor. In the time that Hafez spent in the presence of the man, he quickly realized that Feige was nothing short of a visionary and a genius.
In an interview, Ahmed Hafez spoke as to how he was given room and space to create and edit. The producers had only told him the project needed a lot of imagination. So he went with it, collaborated with Mohamed Diab, and the result was a masterpiece.
Source: “Kevin Feige is a genius!”, says Moon Knight series editor Ahmed Hafez.
