Moon Knight is slated to make his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a series starring Oscar Isaac, to be released on Disney+ next year. Moon Knight is often compared to DC's Batman by fans, and the comparison could hurt the upcoming series. With that in mind, does Moon Knight have enough unique attributes to set his series apart and create something special, or is it doomed to be a big-budget facsimile of the Caped Crusader's adventures?
The two characters certainly do have some things in common. Both are wealthy brooding vigilantes who fight crime at night, both use a variety of weapons and gadgets and both are skilled detectives and martial arts masters. It is easy to see where one might see similarities on a surface level. Beneath the surface, however, lies many fascinating details which the showrunners should use to make Moon Knight more than a Batman copycat.
Moon Knight, real name Marc Spector, was first introduced in a 1975 issue of Werewolf by Night, as a mercenary hired to capture the titular werewolf who turned against his employers when they revealed their ill intentions. He went on to appear as a side character in a few series before his first solo series in 1980. He was a street-level hero, fighting serial killers and criminal masterminds with the likes of Spider-Man and the Defenders. By the time of Moon Knight's first full outing, Batman had been headlining comics for over 40 years. Comparisons were inevitable, frequent, and typically unfavorable for Moon Knight but the two characters have radically different stories.
Marc Spector was born the son of a Jewish immigrant who fled persecution from the Nazis by fleeing to America, where they lived in a poor Chicago slum. Spector's father continued to suffer anti-Semitic persecution, culminating in a confrontation with a Nazi serial killer. Spector managed to defend himself and his family as an adolescent, but emotional trauma from the attack crippled him, leaving him to develop dissociative identity disorder. He spent time in a mental institution, which he then escaped to join the military. Spector was dishonorably discharged, joined the CIA, then became a mercenary. During a job in Egypt, Spector was betrayed and left for dead, but in his final moments, he was approached by the moon god Khonshu, who saved his life in exchange for his service. Spector then became Moon Knight, a hero who wields Egyptian god magic and tools to fight crime while dealing with his deep mental illness.
There are many huge details in that origin that could be focused upon to distance Moon Knight from comparisons to Batman. Many aspects of Moon Knight's character are conflicting from one issue to another, including his abilities. Moon Knight occasionally demonstrates super strength and prophetic dreams among other superpowers, usually restrained only to nights during a full moon. Spector's connection to Khonshu also varies between versions, sometimes making it very clear that Moon Knight is an emissary of the lunar deity, but just as often implying that he is just a deeply rooted hallucination. It is currently unclear which interpretation of the character will be introduced to the MCU next year, but superpowers are an easy fix to weaken Batman comparisons and direct or perceived connection to an ancient deity is a wild and unique plot hook.
Marc Spector's mental illness is an enormous facet of his character, his multiple personalities often serve different roles and provide aid to the overall Moon Knight vigilante outfit. This can sometimes result in some pretty wacky behavior from Spector, playing off of characters like Spider-Man and the Punisher in amusing ways. Punisher at one point dismisses Spector as an escaped mental patient, which is insulting despite being largely accurate. Some writers play heavily into the aforementioned inconsistency by implying that Spector's more mystical adventures with magic and werewolves may be entirely hallucinatory.
The best Batman media, perhaps the best superhero media in general, fits the tone of the story to the character. With that in mind, Batman's stoic and serious no-nonsense attitude is a point of grounding for the vibe of his surrounding media. One need look no further than the presentation of the classic Batman cartoon in comparison to the 1999 Batman Beyond series. The tone, writing and even the marketing changed radically to fit the show's new protagonist. Moon Knight should be driven by the eclectic and unique personalities that make up its title character. The show would be incomplete without the many personalities intrinsic to the character. The narrative could even play into the inconsistencies between comic runs by introducing an unreliable narrator element or constantly keeping the viewer guessing what is and is not real.
Marvel films and series have explored mental illness through specific characters in the past. Iron Man is briefly consumed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after the events of The Avengers, suffering flashbacks throughout Iron Man 3. Jessica Jones focuses in large part on the title character's struggles as a survivor of sexual abuse. In season 1 of The Punisher, Frank Castle comes to terms with his PTSD after both his time at war and the loss of his family. The final scene consists of Castle attending a meeting to unpack his trauma, a denouement that neatly places a bow on a story all about the aftermath of trauma and the importance of seeking help. Moon Knight is a great character from which to explore neurodivergence, with a variety of appropriate angles.
Some fans will likely sling comparisons regardless of what steps are taken to deliberately differentiate Moon Knight from Batman. Batman routinely ranks among the top 2 most popular comic book heroes, whereas Moon Knight typically haunts the triple digits. Despite the gap in popularity, Moon Knight is far from a knock-off, and most of the comparisons are surface level. The upcoming MCU series could build itself around the bizarre mystical aspects of the character while making Spector's inner demons a key facet of the narrative. Doing so might just give Moon Knight the unique and outstanding showcase that fans have waited so long to see.