The lunar avenger known as Moon Knight is the latest comic character to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as he will be receiving his own series on the new Disney+ streaming service. The announcement came at this year's D23 event which also revealed plans for other new series like She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel.
The character of Moon Knight comes with a close group of friends and allies like Marlene Alruane and Jean-Paul "Frenchie" Duchamp. Even Marc Spector himself comes with his own alternate identities of Jake Lockley and Steven Grant, and there are a number of other Marvel characters connected to Moon Knight that could also make their MCU debut on Disney+'s Moon Knight, which we'll examine today.
10 WEREWOLF BY NIGHT
When Moon Knight first appeared in the pages of Werewolf by Night #32, he hadn't quite been developed into the vigilante mercenary we know today. Instead, he was a silver-clad monster hunter sent after Jack Russell, who was better known as the Werewolf by Night.
Moon Knight was working for the Committee to track and kill Russell, though he released him when he learned of Jack's true nature. While he was cursed with lycanthropy, the Werewolf by Night was an anti-hero who worked alongside many Marvel heroes and could help launch Marvel's supernatural side that we are sure to see more of with the upcoming Blade adaptation.
9 BUSHMAN
Raoul Bushman is one of Moon Knight's greatest enemies, though don't confuse him with Bushmaster who appeared in the second season of Luke Cage. Bushman was directly responsible for Marc Spector's evolution into Moon Knight, though he didn't appear until Moonie got his origin story in the pages of his first solo series.
Bushman was a fellow mercenary who casually murdered Dr. Peter Alruane to steal his valuables, which caused Spector to turn on him. Bushman let him for dead in an Egyptian temple, where Marc became Khonshu's fist, Moon Knight. Bushman would later become a continuing enemy to Moon Knight and is sure to play a large role in the upcoming series.
8 MIDNIGHT
Moon Knight has worked with a few partners over the years, like the aforementioned Frenchie and other heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil. However, he has also temporarily had his own sidekick named Midnight. Midnight was Jeff Wilde, the son of one of Moon Knight's villains who was known as the Midnight Man.
Moon Knight agreed to train the young teen as Midnight, though he would later be killed/resurrected by the Secret Empire and turned into an evil cyborg. Midnight would return again to frame Moon Knight for a series of killings, so his involvement in the developing Disney+ series would definitely open up a number of story possibilities.
7 NIGHT THRASHER
Another one of Moon Knight's allies is the vigilante known as Night Thrasher, who has his own super-team of heroes known as the New Warriors. Thrash was originally slated to appear on TV in the MCU as a part of the comedic New Warriors TV show, though plans for the series have fizzled since the initial announcement.
Moon Knight and Night Thrasher worked together against the Secret Empire and Midnight, alongside heroes like Spider-Man and Punisher. While the latter two might not be able to appear in the MCU again for a bit due to rights issues, Night Thrasher would be the perfect partner for Moonie to work with against the Secret Empire should they be involved in the live-action series.
6 DOCTOR DOOM
Following the acquisition of the Fantastic Four's film rights by Disney, fans have been waiting to see how the first family of Marvel and their related characters might make their debut in the MCU. While Moon Knight seems like an unlikely place to tease the FF, that doesn't mean their greatest villain couldn't first rear his ugly head on the Disney+ series.
Moon Knight and Doctor Doom have encountered each other a few times, most notably in Marc Spector: Moon Knight #39-40, where Doom orchestrated a series of events that pitted Moon Knight against his bionic cronies known as the Sensor Squad, which led to a confrontation between Moonie and Doom at the Latveria embassy. It's a bit of a stretch but would fit right in with Marvel Studios' previous reveal of characters in sometimes unrelated films.
5 THE PROFILE
The character known only as The Profile was introduced in later volumes of Moon Knight, but he left a lasting impression on fans and has returned a number of times as both an ally and enemy. The Profile has the (possibly mutant) ability to known and understand the traits and personality of anyone just by looking at them.
When he uses this power on Marc Spector he learns much about the former mercenary, but due to his difficulty to read supernatural subjects, The Profile is unable to read Spector while he is wearing his Moon Knight costume/vestments, likely due to his relationship with Khonshu. The Profile is a very likely addition to the Disney+ series, as he's basically a walking exposition machine.
4 DARKHAWK
While Darkhawk is generally more of a cosmic character these days, when he first began his crime-fighting career he was a street-level hero who often found himself working with heroes like Spider-Man, the New Warriors, and Moon Knight.
He most memorably worked with Moon Knight, Spider-Man, Punisher, and Night Thrasher against the Secret Empire. Darkhawk is actually Chris Powell, who is able to transform into the armored Darkhawk by touching a special amulet. Darkhawk isn't really on the MCU's radar right now, but that could be just the surprise addition a series like Moon Knight could pull off.
3 BLACK SPECTRE
Moon Knight has inspired a few similarily themed villains over the years, from the Midnight Man to the Shadow Knight (more on him soon). Moonie also inspired the creation of the Black Spectre, who was really Mayoral candidate Carson Knowles.
Knowles seems like a great inclusion to the Disney+ series due to his dual roles as both Mayoral candidate and master criminal. Black Spectre wore a dark gladiator-esque costume with spiked pads and knuckles, and carried a number of medieval weapons like swords and a morning star, though he didn't have any powers of his own.
2 SHADOW KNIGHT
Moon Knight is also known as the Avatar of Khonshu and serves as his Knight of Vengeance and Justice. However, Khonshu and Marc Spector have a bit of a tumultuous relationship, which has occasionally resulted in Moon Knight falling out of favor and the arrival of a second Avatar of Khonshu.
While Marc's brother Randall Spector was originally thought to be the serial killer known as the Hatchet Man, he was soon revealed to be the second Avatar known as Shadow Knight. Shadow Knight is another twisted mirror image of Spector as he wears a mummified version of the Moon Knight costume, though he also has a radioactive eye blast.
1 THUNDERBOLTS
The long-awaited arrival of the Thunderbolts in the MCU could happen in a way that most fans wouldn't be expecting. Following in the wake of the Superhuman Registration Act (known as the Sokovia Accords in the MCU), Moon Knight became a registered hero but quickly defied the laws, resulting in a warrant for his arrest.
This led to the Norman Osborn-run team of Thunderbolts to face off against Moon Knight in a series of battles that would pit the lunar avenger against villains like Venom, Moonstone, Swordsman, Radioactive Man, Songbird and Penance. It might not be the roster fans were hoping to see in the MCU, but it would certainly give Moon Knight some worthy villains to face off against in his upcoming Disney+ series.