‘That’s what Scorsese is talking about’: Ethan Hawke Says MCU is Not Director Friendly, Limits a Lot of Creative Freedom

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MCU’s Moon Knight was a huge hit. From having a very detailed and mind-bending plot to having an actor as great as Oscar Isaac play the lead, Steven Grant (and Marc Spector), it was one pleasant surprise after another.

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MCU's Moon Knight Poster
Moon knight Poster By Marvel

Not only does Moon Knight have a great, somewhat anti-hero lead but also a spectacular villain in the form of Arthur Harrow played by the insanely talented Ethan Hawke.

It is very striking to see that someone who played such a complicated character so effortlessly was once very unsure about the genre in which this character resided; The Comic Book genre.

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Marvel's Moon Knight Comic
Marvel’s Moon Knight Comic Cover (Vol 1 27)

Ethan Hawke On The Comic Book Genre Of Marvel’s Movies

Fans were very astonished when Ethan Hawke decided to join MCU’s Moon Knight as the villain because of his previous, controversial statements regarding the comic book genre on the basis of which Marvel has laid its entire foundation.

Marvel's Moon Knight Premiere
Ethen Hawke At Marvel’s Moon Knight 2022 Premiere

“It needs to be somebody in the community saying, ‘Hey, everybody, this is not ‘Fanny and Alexander,’” Ethan Hawke stated while being interviewed by IndieWire. “If you keep reviewing these movies that are basically made for 14-year-olds like they’re ‘Fanny and Alexander’ or ‘Winter Light,’ then who the hell’s going to get to make ‘Winter Light’?”

He had also gone on to state that it was wrong to call people who think in similar ways about the comic book genre, “Stuck up” because it is simply not true.

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He even confessed that he did not exactly have a problem with directors criticizing MCU movies based on their genre; especially stating the names of directors Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola who have made comments on Marvel’s genre choice.

Read Also: ‘After a while, crocodile’: Oscar Isaac Regrets a Heartbreaking Scene Cut From Moon Knight Relating His Mother With Ammit

“I appreciate the elder statesmen of the community reminding people not to set the bar too low,” Ethan Hawke added. “I know it makes some people think they’re stuck up, but they’re not stuck up.”

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Ethan Hawke On His Experience With MCU As The Main Villain In Marvel’s Moon Knight

Ethan Hawke observed that as much as it’s appreciative how “actor friendly” Marvel is, it is also important to note that it may not be as “director friendly” as portrayed, talking about the leniency offered to Oscar Isaac (the main hero lead of Moon Knight).

Oscar Isaac In Moon Knight
Oscar Isaac As Steven Grant/Marc Spector In Marvel’s Moon Knight

Read Also: ‘I’m Going to Go Down Hard’: Oscar Isaac Reveals Moon Knight is His Career’s Greatest Embarrassment

“That group of people [at Marvel] is extremely actor-friendly. They might not be director-friendly, and that could be what Scorsese and Coppola are talking about. But they love actors,” Ethan Hawke commented on enabled freedom of directors of MCU. “I think Kevin Feige had a great thing happen with Robert Downey Jr. and he understood that Downey’s passion was a large part of the success. When actors are excited by a part, audiences get excited about watching them. Feige understood the algorithm there, so they’re extremely respectful toward the process. The best thing about ‘Moon Knight’ for me was Oscar’s performance. It’s a gonzo thing that happens to have a giant budget — a pretty out-there performance.”

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How Does Ethan Hawke Feel About Long-term Commitment To Marvel?

In the interview conducted by IndieWire, Ethan Hawke confessed even further that he has “protected” himself from long-term projects with Marvel as he is not that much “interested” in it.

“I’m not supposed to talk about it. I had to sign an NDA about dealing with them, but I’m not interested in long-term commitments. I protected myself because I didn’t know what it was going to be. I just wanted to know what that sandbox was like. And it’s what young people are watching, so why are we going to sit there and tell them it’s not good?”

Moon Knight is now exclusively streaming on Disney+.

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SOURCE: Variety.

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Written by Anvesha Krishna

Articles Published: 55

A content writer at Fandom Wire, An avid reader of books with a passionate interest in design, and a huge nerd for Celebrity gossip and news.