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Marvel Studios dropped the first episode of the much-awaited series Moon Knight to positive fanfare. Other than the reveal of the mysterious white hooded Moon Knight in the final minutes of the premiere episode, Oscar Isaac’s stellar performance as a confused, timid yet loquacious “museum gift shop-ist” Steven Grant stole the show.
Isaac’s portrayal of the feeble Steven Grant phasing in and out as a gutsy Marc Spector showcased splendidly using frame skips and jump cuts in different locations and unfortunate situations.
Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow was spectacular and promised to be a menacing antagonist chasing Steven to retrieve the mysterious Golden Scarab. Like Arthur, fans are quite interested in figuring out the many shades of Steven Grant’s personality.
The sometimes naïve, sometimes bold Steven might have puzzled a few viewers. The addition of a mysterious voice in Grant’s head only adds to the confusion. Let's break down the first episode of Moon Knight and have a look at the multiple personalities of Steven Grant.
According to comics, Moon Knight possesses four different personalities based on four phases of the moon
Steven Grant
Steven Grant works in an Egyptian museum based in London as an ancient mythology enthusiast. Grant has had a mental condition called dissociative identity disorder or DID, where a person has multiple distinct personalities who control the main individual’s behavior at different times.
Unlike in the comics, where Marc Spector is the original personality of Moon Knight, the TV series portrays Steven Grant as the man driving Oscar Isaac’s body.
In the comics, Steven Grant was the dissociative personality of Marc Spector. Multi-millionaire businessman Steven Grant produces movies and funds the Moon Knight’s late-night adventures.
Marc Spector
Another personality of Steven Grant is Marc Spector, who is seen taking charge of Grant’s body when the situation is dire. Steven blacks out in dangerous circumstances and the next thing he sees is that the danger has resolved itself. The clueless Grant stands amidst a pool of blood and dead bodies or is seen driving an ice-cream van in reverse, which was normal a few seconds ago.
In the final act of the episode, Marc, with a daring demeanor, was seen conversing with Grant via a mirror. He suggested Grant give up control over the body, so Marc could take over as the awesome Moon Knight and give the dog monster a beating.
It should be noted that while Grant has a British accent, Marc can be heard carrying an American-English accent.
Moon Knight and the voice in the head: Khonshu
We also hear a rather hostile voice in Grant’s head. As per the comics, the voice belongs to Khonshu, the Egyptian moon deity. Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham’s heavy-toned performance as the voice of Khonshu was indeed impressive. Khonshu resurrects a dead Marc Spector in comics in return for his servitude as his priest and the protector of vengeance.
Marc takes over Grant as white bandage straps cross his torse and face to transform him into the Moon Knight. The costume is fabulous and straight out of the comic book, with glowing white eyes as highlights of his character design.
Mr. Knight and Jake Lockley
We saw another masked man dressed in a white suit, gloves, and white mask in the trailer. While fans of MCU are eager to see the cool character appear in the series, hardcore comic fans know him as Mr. Knight, another dissociative personality of Spector.
Marc as Moon Knight is more of a crime fighter in the series, Grant seems to be the timid self, and Mr. Knight will be the detective version of his personality.
Flamboyant in his dressing style and a smooth talker, he might be the one who wooed Grant’s colleague and asked her out for a date. Another personality, as per the comic, is Jake Lockley, a taxi driver in New York who roams around the city, serving as the eyes and ears of Moon Knight on the streets.
While we aren’t sure if this personality will be added to Oscar Isaac’s already wide quiver of Psyche, we will have to wait and watch episode 2 premiering on Disney+ on April 6, 2022.
