Marvel looking for Jewish Zac Efron-type to play Moon Knight
Marvel is reportedly looking for a Jewish actor, preferably of Israeli descent, to play Moon Knight in the upcoming Disney Plus series.
Though a release date has not been confirmed, Marvel Studios is jumping ahead to start casting for their upcoming Moon Knight series that is set to drop on Disney Plus. Geeks WorldWide is reporting the kind of actor they are looking for to play Marc Spector. GWW gives a full detailed explanation:
"“The studio is searching for a Jewish “Zac Efron-type” who is preferably of Israeli descent. Zac Efron was also Marvel’s top choice for Ikaris in ‘The Eternals’ before the role went to Richard Madden, so it comes as no surprise that he’s the ideal Moon Knight. Efron himself is also Jewish, so him landing the role is not out of the question. It makes sense that they want a Jewish actor for the role because in the comics Moon Knight (aka Marc Spector) is the son of a Rabbi.”"
GWW is accurate in pointing out that Moon Knight is Jewish, specifically a Jewish-American born in Chicago, IL to a rabbi. His origins have changed slightly over the years, but many have him as a boxer who has served in the U.S. military.
A “Zac Efron-type” points to an in-shape, handsome individual, but what stands out is the specification of an actor of Israeli descent.
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Spector gets his powers through an archeological dig in Egypt where he becomes Moon Knight aka “The Fist of Khonshu.” Israel does not play any factor in Moon Knight’s origin, so it is perplexing that Marvel prefers to cast an actor of Israeli descent.
A forward-thinking move would be to cast a Jewish actor of Egyptian descent. It would provide representation to a community that does not get a lot of it, which is similar to what Marvel would be doing in their Ms. Marvel series.
What is most important, though, is casting an actor with a lot of range to play a character that suffers from multiple personality disorder. It’s one thing to look the part, but what makes Moon Knight compelling is his personality and the compelling storytelling around that personality.
dark. Next. Moon Knight: Who is he and who can play him?
If Marvel is indeed focused on looks for a character that is primarily masked or hooded, then the Moon Knight series points to a standard origin tale that will be told in some detail. What other characters will be involved in this series is unknown at this point, but fans now know what type of actor Marvel is looking for to play Moon Knight.