Actor Oscar Isaac in Talks to Play Jewish Superhero in New Marvel, Disney+ Series
by Shiryn Ghermezian
“Star Wars” actor Oscar Isaac is in negotiations to take on the title character in a new Marvel and Disney+ show about a rabbi’s wayward son turned superhero, Deadline reported on Monday.
“Moon Knight,” set for release on Disney+ next year, is based on the Marvel comic series of the same name that launched in 1975 and follows the hero, whose real name is Marc Spector, as he goes against his father’s Judaism, chooses a life of violence and then becomes a vigilante.
Jeremy Slater, who developed and wrote a series adaptation of “The Umbrella Academy” comic books for Netflix, will be the showrunner, writer and executive producer.
Marvel and Disney+ are searching for a director for the series and no production start date has been set, according to Deadline.
Isaac, who has Jewish roots on his father’s side, previously played Mossad agent Peter Malkin in 2018’s “Operation Finale” about Nazi mastermind Adolf Eichmann’s capture in Argentina.
In the comic books, Spector is a heavyweight boxer turned Marine and mercenary. After becoming a human avatar for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu, he takes on numerous alter egos, such as taxicab driver Jake Lockley and millionaire entrepreneur Steven Grant, to help him fight criminals, including those behind hate crimes against Jews.
In one comic book scene, he beats up assailants who set fire to a synagogue and saves an old man from the burning building.
“Moon Knight is truly Marvel’s mensch, a comic book hero that has experienced religious persecution firsthand and now refuses to let it go by unpunished,” said Forbes writer Josh Weiss. “It’s a relatable character motivation that is able to echo discrimination in the modern day, not just for Jews, but for people of all creeds and walks of life. Marc Spector gives a voice to the voiceless, a physical embodiment of ‘never again.’”