After 10 years of success in film and television, Marvel Studios is always talking about the next big superhero to grace the silver screen. With the DC Universe attempting to rival Marvel’s intricate world-building, the need for complex characters with great story arcs is vital. Sensing an opportunity, The Walking Dead’s Ross Marquand is leading the charge to introduce Marvel’s Moon Knight to the big screen.
As a troubled superhero, Moon Knight checks all the boxes for onscreen complexity. The character, otherwise known as Marc Spector, is a former U.S. Marine who dies when a fellow mercenary kills him. After coming back to life at the hands of an Egyptian god, the character turns vigilante. But the story doesn’t end there. On top of his supernatural abilities and skilled fighting talent, Moon Knight also suffers from mental instability. His multiple personalities tend to make him a bit bloodthirsty. Thankfully, he’s one of the good guys…right?
Diving into the details of what makes Moon Knight so intriguing is exactly what Marquand is ready for, and he spoke to AiPT! at ComiCONN 2018 about the possibility of bringing the character to life. After playing the villainous Red Skull in the summer blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War, Marquand now expresses interest in developing this complicated hero and permanently joining the Marvel team.
With the desire to bring to life the character’s multifaceted origin, Marquand also wants to quash the belief that Moon Knight is Marvel’s answer to Batman. Fans derive parallels between the two superhero vigilantes, but Marquand intends to expose the differences between these two caped crusaders. While Batman relies on his vast wealth and toys, Moon Knight has powers centered on the phases of the moon. Additionally, Bruce Wayne grew up a good kid, always trying to do the right thing. Conversely, Moon Knight rejected morality from a young age, maturing into a savage killer prior to his reincarnation. The differences between the two outweigh the similarities, making Moon Knight a unique and appealing superhero to add to the ever-expanding Marvel shared universe.
Marquand isn’t alone in thinking that Moon Knight would be a significant and worthy addition to the MCU, though some believe that a television series suits him better. Either way, the character contributes something new for Marvel fans: a dark supernatural hero struggling with mental illness while getting the job done using whatever means necessary. With Marquand’s proven fandom of the Moon Knight comics, he would be the ideal candidate to inject some quirky, brutal variety into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.