Moon Knight director Mohamed Diab shared the reason that Ethan Hawke, who plays the nefarious Arthur Harrow in the upcoming Disney+ series, signed on without even reading the script.
During a press conference attended by CBR, Diab recounted the events that led to Hawke joining the show. "I want to say that Ethan and Oscar [Isaac, who plays Moon Knight], when it came to the signing, Ethan is someone that is -- everyone sees him as this great, legendary, independent film actor, and joining the superhero world is something big," Diab began. "So when Oscar first approached him and then I talked to him about it, we pitched him the idea, but I told him please don't read the script. Not that the script is bad, but when you work with him, you have to get from him."
Diab also delved into Hawke's relationship with the character of Harrow, saying that in a way, Harrow "is [Hawke's] son." He concluded, "So to trust us and sign without -- he told me this was 'the first time in 35 years that I signed something without reading a script.' And he did it. Thank you for your trust."
Outside of his signing on for the show, Hawke and the aforementioned Isaac recently revealed that Moon Knight's detachment from the Marvel Cinematic Universe was what intrigued them. Additionally, Hawke brought up the possibility of Harrow returning in more MCU projects, saying, "[Moon Knight] lives and breathes on its own merits, it functions as a limited series -- and if people are engaged and excited by it then it could be the origin story of a larger thing."
Diab recently discussed the possibility of the Fist of Khonshu getting a movie, saying, "I dream and wish for a film. But with Marvel, the way they play it, it's not like you graduate into a film. You can go into a film and come to a TV show and go back." It was during this interview that Diab remarked that he could "see [Moon Knight] in [the MCU] for the next 10 years, not just the next film," adding that he "[thinks] the show's going to resonate with people."
Moon Knight itself will exceed the PG-13 restrictions for violence and horror, per the word of head writer Jeremy Slater, who said that Marvel Studios encouraged the show's production team to do so. Similarly, Marvel Studios President/Marvel Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige spoke about how violent Moon Knight would be earlier this year, revealing that there will be moments in it where the eponymous antihero is "wailing on another character" and that Marvel Studios isn't pulling back on that content.
Moon Knight arrives on Disney+ on March 30.
Source: Marvel Studios