Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight is quite a popular show and has received love from a range of ardent MCU fans. Though the show ended in a traditional fashion, where a large-scale battle took place, it was hardly a traditional Marvel show. Oscar Isaac’s show broke free from the typical Marvel TV Series as it was weird and unique and very un-Marvel-like, which helped it amass a massive viewership.
However, Moon Knight was criticized for its casting, as fans know that the character was Jewish and the show honors it by properly reciting the Shema, one of the most important prayers in Judaism – in his final moments. The scene created some criticism among the people, as Oscar Isaac is a Guatamalan-born American, and his reciting of the holy Shema was not accepted by some viewers. Now, Marvel has reaffirmed the character’s Jewish identity to avoid backlash.
Marvel Comics Reaffirms Moon Knight’s Jewish Identity
Moon Knight’s identity as a Jewish hero has been a major source of contention for the character, and Marvel did a great job by correctly reciting the Shema. The words are to be recited upon waking (during morning prayers) and before sleeping (during evening prayers), as well as being part of the final words before death.
As per ScreenRant, Jed MacKay and Alessandro Capuccio’s Moon Knight (2021) #30 recounts Moon Knight’s last minutes, where he was fatally shot and left to die. Summoned the last of his strength, Marc Spector with the help of his alters, crawls toward Robert Plesko’s doomsday device and, in the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, prepares to blow it up.
The character’s relationship with Judaism has always been a sensitive topic. Marc Spector, the son of a rabbi changed his fate by being of service to Khonshu. The comic as well as the TV Series was heavily criticized by the fans and the critics as it invoked antisemitic stereotypes about Jewish passivity vs. Christian action.
Hence, the death of the character was handled tenderly, to add more sensitivity the Egyptian god, Khonshu was unable to save the character. Hence, Spector found solace in the words of his faith instead, that is, words that affirm one god above all others.
Oscar Isaac Once Wanted To Reject The Role of Moon Knight
Even though it seems quite illogical to turn down a role from a massive franchise like the MCU, Oscar Isaac once thought of turning down the lead role in the 2022 TV Series. In a roundtable discussion with The Hollywood Reporter via Remezcla, the actor shared insights from his professional journey as an actor alongside big names like Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Tom Hiddleston, Brain Cox, and Quinchy Isaiah.
The actor shared that as an actor he craved to get more opportunities, and it was a compulsive need during his initial days as an actor, but this need had affected him in one way or the other.
“The biggest window in my life as an actor has been wanting to get opportunities – wanting someone to say yes. It’s been a very small window of being able to say no. It takes building those synapses to chemically be able to say no in my brain and not feel like I’m destroying my life in some way.”
The actor felt that “it was such a mental torment just to make a decision.” This decision immensely paid him off as he charged $1 million per episode, which makes his salary a total of $6 million. Moreover, the show’s popularity was icing on the cake, as the show earned immense love and praise from its viewers.
Moon Knight can be streamed on Disney+.
