A lot of fantastic actors look to real-life people and events for inspiration when perfecting their craft. This can result in some wonderful characterization and brilliant performances, like Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow being inspired by Keith Richards and Heath Ledger's Joker being inspired by Tom Waits.
Those are relatively tame inspirations, but sometimes the real-life people characters are modeled after end up being a lot more sinister. One new example of this is Ethan Hawke's villain character on the upcoming Disney Plus MCU show Moon Knight. While the actual character he will be playing isn't known yet, Hawke revealed on Late Night that he drew inspiration from real-life cult leader, David Koresh.
Koresh is most well-known as the leader of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. While he didn't start the cult, he was their leader at the time of the tragedy associated with the group. In 1993, after the ATF attempted to search their compound and arrest Koresh for illegal stockpiling of weapons, a deadly gunfight broke out. Afterward, they had a 51-day standoff with the FBI which sadly resulted in the compound being engulfed in flames. This killed 76 members of the group, including Koresh.
While it's not yet confirmed by the studio who Hawke's character in Moon Knight really is, some on-set photos that were leaked suggest that it possibly could be Dracula. A dapper vampire could definitely make sense if his inspiration is a cult leader, as Dracula is known for being very influential and seductive. The only real confirmation for this series at all, is that the lead character of Moon Knight will be played by Oscar Isaac.
The title character, whose real name is Marc Spector, has existed in Marvel Comics since 1975. His origin story revolves around a former soldier who has a near death experience on an archeological dig. While he is dying, he is granted a second chance at life and superhuman powers by an Egyptian God. He's often seen as Marvel's answer to DC's Batman.
Moon Knight hasn't gotten as much attention as some of the other upcoming MCU installments, or its previous three series, but it could be a pivotal piece in the franchise. It's introducing a brand new character that fans don't know a lot about. They've also recruited some really interesting directors, namely Benson & Moorhead, who are known for works the complete opposite of the MCU's current style.
While a release date has not yet been announced, Moon Knight is expected to air on the streaming platform in 2022.