Oscar Isaac is in talks to play Marvel's Moon Knight in the upcoming Disney+ series, but there are some potential problems with this casting choice. This isn't the first time that the Golden Globe nominated actor has stepped into the realm of blockbusters, playing both ace pilot Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, as well as the infamous titular villain in X-Men: Apocalypse. He also had a surprise cameo at the end of 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse as none other than Spider-Man 2099, a role that many fans hope he returns as in the sequel.
This time, reports suggest that he'll be stepping into the role of Marc Spector aka Moon Knight, a former mercenary turned crimefighting vigilante after a near-death experience causes him to make contact with the ancient Egyptian moon god Khonshu. The character's storylines have a versatility to them that allow him to go from fighting off werewolves and supernatural threats to taking on the seedy criminal element present in Marvel's street-level stories. Another noteworthy element of Moon Knight as a character is his struggles with dissociative identity disorder, manifesting in multiple different personalities that fade in and out throughout the years as a result of different writers and creative teams.
Ever since the announcement of the character's Disney+ series, fierce discussions have taken place over who should take on the mantle, from fan-favorite picks such as Shia LaBeouf to more recent rumors like Daveed Diggs. While Oscar Isaac is certainly a capable choice, there are a few concerns that loom over the potential casting.
Even though Oscar Isaac is a truly phenomenal actor, he's also one who's easily recognizable based on the sheer number of films he's been in in the past couple of years. Roles such as Inside Llewyn Davis, Star Wars, and the soon-to-be-released Dune have turned him into a bit of a household name with a recognizable stage presence. His online status as "the internet's boyfriend" has also made him even more notable, standing out amongst the MCU's more lowkey casting choices.
When actors like Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth were cast in their roles, they hadn't yet become the instantly recognizable superstars that they are now, which gave the audience time to watch them assimilate into their roles and grow into the characters audiences fell in love with. Arguably the biggest star in the MCU during the Phase One era was Robert Downey Jr., but his career was recently on the upswing and it was his own personality that made him so idiosyncratic as Tony Stark. Isaac is a phenomenal performer but with a character like Moon Knight, who isn't as well known to the general public as the likes of Spider-Man or Wolverine, casting such an A-list actor to play him might end up leaving fans seeing less of Marc Spector and more of Oscar Isaac.
Marc Spector was always going to be a hard cast from day one, due to his slightly unhinged and manic nature as a superhero. His DID makes him a very difficult character to pin down, as different comic book runs have approached the character in a multitude of different ways, each with varied and unique personalities that either help or hinder him depending on the state of his mental health. While Oscar Isaac will doubtlessly have no trouble diving into such a complex role, it will be the first of its kind for him.
Isaac has a pretty diverse filmography as an actor, but a lot of his roles fall into the category of quiet, introspective loners or suave, debonair rogues such as Poe Dameron. In general, many of his performances are quite muted and subtle, whereas a character like Marc Spector is the exact opposite. As Moon Knight, and really all of his alternate personalities, Spector is animated and frantic, especially in more recent runs that truly dive into the severity of his potential neuroses. To truly get into the role, we'll have to see Isaac step out of his comfort zone into a role with more tangibility than he has at times before.
Similar to Daredevil and his relationship with Catholicism, Marc Spector has a very important relationship with his faith as a Jewish man and how it directly relates to his experiences as a crimefighter. It's revealed in one of his first comic book series' that Moon Knight's father was a rabbi, making him very deeply entrenched in the Jewish faith growing up. However, it's also showcased that Marc didn't grow into his faith in a particularly easy way, and as he grew older he essentially began living a publicly faithful life while struggling with the tenets of his faith inwardly. It's this dichotomy that more than likely led to Marc's psyche becoming so entrenched with duality and leading multiple lives.
This is a defining trait of him as a character, and many fans assumed that Disney would use that to cast a Jewish actor in the role. Indeed, many of the rumored castings were actors who were either observant or culturally Jewish, even down to the more outlandish picks like Nick Kroll. While Oscar Isaac has stated his last name comes from Jewish ties on his father's side, he's gone on record as having grown up in an evangelical Protestant household, something that shaped his experiences growing up. This is by no means a deal-breaker, as actors have to play roles and experiences outside of their own every day, but having an actor who grew up in an observant Jewish household would give them a particular insight on the duality of Marc Spector and his own fractured relationship with his faith. Nonetheless, Oscar Isaac is a bold and exciting choice for Moon Knight, a character who's complex and nuanced relationship with his own mental health requires an actor known for taking on daring and unique roles.
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