Moon Knight star Ethan Hawke said acting in Marvel projects is comparable to appearing in Westerns in the 1950s.
Hawke, who's playing an unnamed villain on the upcoming Disney+ show, spoke to The Wrap about the process of joining the MCU. "If you were an actor in the ’50s, you know, they made Westerns. If you’re an actor in the 2020s, you’ve got Marvel," Hawke said. "And I’m really fortunate because we’re dealing with a story that doesn’t have a lot of ancillary baggage. If you play Spider-Man or Batman, they’ve got so much baggage and the audience have such expectations."
"It’s like playing Hamlet — you can’t play it in a vacuum," Hawke continued. "You’re playing it in relationship to the other Hamlets. Whereas with Moon Knight, people don’t know much about it. It doesn’t have a lot of baggage. Oscar (Isaac) is giving an absolutely phenomenal performance, and it feels exciting to be a part of it with him."
Nothing is known about who Hawke will play in the series, and he wasn't about to let it slip when asked if he's playing a new or obscure character. "Yeah, it’s … I’ve signed 10,000 NDAs and they give me a hard time anytime I say anything about it," Hawke cautioned. "They’re very secretive about it. They like to create a lot of anticipation. But I understand why people love working for them. They’re extremely active, friendly. They do good world-building and create space for actors. If you want to play, they want you to play."
Moon Knight doesn't have a well-known rogues gallery like other heroes, so Hawke could be playing just about anyone. Likely, it will be a small-time villain that's been reinvented for the MCU. In a similar move, Marvel has reportedly cast another obscure villain to appear on the show alongside Hawke.
Despite not being able to offer much concrete information, the veteran actor is clearly enjoying his experience with Marvel. "I'll tell you this about it: I've been acting since I was 13. Like I did my first movie in 1985, okay? And that's a long time ago," Hawke said earlier this month. "And these are the best sets I've ever been on in my life. The costume, the set, the production design, the cinematography, all those elements are kind of mind-boggling. So I have entered some alternate universe and it is kind of interesting."
Moon Knight is expected to arrive next year on Disney+.
Source: The Wrap