Moon Knight on Netflix
Why the hero and his alter egos deserve their own series
by Phil Perich for the Capes and Lunatics Blog
Marvel has scored another hit on Netflix with the recent Defenders series and the Punisher is only a few months away. But there is one hero who constantly keeps getting mentioned by fans as a favorite choice for an upcoming Netflix series—Moon Knight! While those not as familiar with the character sometimes compare him to DC Comics Batman, Moon Knight is more complex and not as predictable.
Origin
While everyone knows the origin of Batman and have seen many iterations of it in comics, movies, and TV shows, not as many people are familiar with the complex origins of Moon Knight. As a young man, Marc Spector would rebel against and constantly disagree with his rabbi father. After his father’s death Marc would leave home and travel the world trying to find himself. From boxer to Marine to mercenary, Marc’s time in the world pre-Moon Knight would be interesting first season fodder, either in early episodes or as flashbacks sprinkled throughout.
But the must have scene for Moon Knight’s origin would come when Marc and his friend Jean Paul “Frenchie” DuChamp partner with african mercenary Raoul Bushman. Moon Knight is truly born when Bushman murders an archeologist. Marc jumps to the defense of the man’s daughter which is when Bushman beats Marc and leaves him for dead. Laying in a near death state near an ancient Egyptian temple, Marc has a vision of the Egyptian god Khonshu who promises Marc a second chance at life if Marc operates as his avatar on Earth. A big theme of the series could be leaving the audience in constant doubt, did Marc communicate with an otherworldly entity or was it a hallucination due to blood loss?
Identity Crisis
And while Batman thinks and speaks of himself and Bruce Wayne as two separate people, Moon Knight has gotten to the point where his various identities are true multiple personalities. At first the identities of wealthy Steve Grant and cab driver Jake Lockley were used as tools in Moon Knight’s mission, but later stories revealed these men to be actual, separate personalities in the psyche of Marc Spector. This would create a true psychological drama of a series.
Friend of a Friend
Moon Knight could be the connective tissue that links the various heroes of the live action Marvel TV and movie universe. Moon Knight has teamed up and interacted with Daredevil, The Punisher, Spider-Man and many other heroes. He even held Avengers membership for awhile when he joined the West Coast Avengers briefly and served as a reserve member later on until he and the Avengers disagreed on the morals of what is right and what is legal.
Brains of the Operation
And who could direct the ultimate live action Moon Knight story? Who would have the talent and experience? In my opinion it all comes down to Kaare Andrews. Not only is he an accomplished director but he has also written and drawn various Marvel characters in the comics including Wolverine, Spider-Man and more including most notably Iron Fist, which would aid him in any possible Moon Knight/Defenders crossover.
So there it is, my bulletproof argument for a Moon Knight Netflix series directed by Kaare Andrews. What do you think? Let me know so Marvel and Netflix can hear the overwhelming response to this ideaYou can even hear yourself on my podcast!
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You can hear me discussing all things TV, movie, comics, music, gaming and more every week with my friends on the Capes and Lunatics Podcast. You can find my podcast, blog and those of others at www.southgatemediagroup.com. You can also find all my creative endeavors at www.philperich.wordpress.com.