Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight Too R-Rated For Disney?
Disney is reportedly worried about the Oscar Isaac Moon Knight show.
This article is more than 2 years old
It seems it’s getting harder than ever for Disney to maintain its strict PG-13 rating within the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight is hitting the scene.
For those unfamiliar, Moon Knight’s comic book counterpart, who Oscar Isaac will bring to life in a Disney+ show, is a lot closer to a Punisher than a Spider-Man in that he’s rarely shy about earning the “anti” in his “anti-hero” moniker. Thanks to his canonical dissociative identity disorder, the character can seek more violent and permanent revenge on his enemies without really making him the bad guy the following morning.
As a result, a rumor from WeGotThisCovered indicates that the Mouse House is starting to raise an eyebrow at the production of Oscar Isaac’s first run as Moon Knight as it seems to be leaning into the darker elements of his source material. The show is apparently walking a very fine line that could mean the difference between a PG-13 rating or an R-rating. Unfortunately for those hoping to return to the grittiness and violence of, say, the first few seasons of Netflix’s Defenders universe, odds are good that Marvel boss Kevin Feige will put his foot down and stamp out the more R-rated fare ahead of Moon Knight’s release.
After all, he’s already made it abundantly clear that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will indeed dip its toe into R-rated waters, but not until Deadpool 3 finally makes its way to screen. As of now, its TV offerings are expected to be on the harsher side of family-friendly. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no hope that Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight series will be watered down at all.
Inadvertently, Marvel’s Disney+ series have already found their way into an R-Rating overseas. Geekosity Magazine previously reported that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was slapped with the overseas equivalent of an R-Rating. While the show’s tackling of prejudice, terrorism and even murder may not have been too graphic for American audiences, it seems they were a bit more squeamish overseas. As a result, if Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight were hit with an R or TV-MA rating in the United States, it would only be a big deal here.
Regardless of the direction that Marvel, Disney and Feige go with the rating for Moon Knight, it’s clear from previously released production material that the show won’t skimp on the violence and even political/criminal intrigue. First of all, in a video released by Oscar Isaac’s production company, Mad Gene Media, in April, Isaac’s fight training was revealed and it looks like throats won’t be safe from slashing and heads won’t be safe from headshotting. Meanwhile, Moon Knight’s villain, Ethan Hawke, recently revealed that he based his character off the real-life cult leader of the Waco siege infamy, David Koresh — not exactly a name that’s synonymous with PG-13 subject matter.
For those unfamiliar, Moon Knight tells the story of a fighter, Marine and CIA operative who turns mercenary. When he finds himself left for dead, he is approached by an Egyptian moon god who offers to give him a second chance to seek revenge on his enemies, provided he becomes her avatar on Earth. The man, Marc Spector (who Oscar Isaac will likely play) agrees and gains the superhuman powers of the Moon Knight.
