One of Marvel’s most distinctive titles to date is “Moon Knight,” and because it is so different, people are constantly attempting to explain it. In a /Film interview, episode directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead cited “Children of Men,” while series writer Jeremy Slater claims to have proposed the project in relation to “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Director Mohamed Diab mentions “Fight Club” as an influence, while actor Ethan Hawke credits cult leader David Koresh for inspiring his performance. Oscar Isaac, who plays the lead, has since acknowledged “Love on the Spectrum,” a Netflix dating comedy, in an interview with Collider.
Isaac described Steven Grant, the lovely, guarded counterpart viewers encounter before being introduced to mercenary Marc Spector, to Collider as “you know, I saw him as a bit on the spectrum.”
“I actually loved watching ‘Love on the Spectrum.’ That was like one of my favorite things to look at, because I just found it so moving and touching because it’s people that … All the same feelings we have in those situations, but they just haven’t developed all the masks to hide it all. So there was cues that I took from that.”
Isaac’s take on Steven
The series never implies that museum employee Steven might be autistic, but it is evident that due to trauma-induced dissociative identity disorder, he and Marc inhabit the same body (DID). In the first episode, viewers get to know Steven, a lovable Brit who believes he has a sleepwalking issue. We only discover later that he is actually Marc’s alter, a former marine who also serves as a representative of the Khonshu god.
Steven is “desperate for connection, but doesn’t have the tools to achieve it,” says Isaac. This appears to be the case, and it is undoubtedly one of the things that makes Steven more likeable and fascinating than Marc. In the first episode of the show, Steven finally goes on a date with a coworker he’s allegedly been crushing on for a while, only to have the evening ruined when Marc begins to steal his time. Steven confides in a street performer about the possibility of dating while controlling his sleepwalking. He worries that a partner could see the ankle shackles on his bed and acknowledges that he hasn’t had much experience with dating.
Although I can see Isaac’s comparison of Steven to the Australian dating show “Love on the Spectrum,” I’m curious how those who are genuinely on the autism spectrum would react to his remarks. There are still few opportunities for autistic actors, despite the fact that films like “Atypical” and “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay” have made news for casting autistic actors in autistic roles. Although Isaac does a fantastic job in this role, it is to be hoped that in the future, large studios like Marvel would also provide overtly neurodiverse roles and chances for neurodiverse performers.
On Disney+, “Moon Knight” airs every Wednesday.
