Moon Knight: Ethan Hawke Teases Marvel Gods In Disney+ Show

Marvel Studios' 2022 Disney+ schedule remains a mystery, but fans can rest easy knowing they're getting Oscar Isaac's Moon Knight at some point next calendar year. Since it was announced at 2019's D23 Expo, Moon Knight has assembled quite the star-studded cast led by the aforementioned Isaac as leading man Marc Spector and Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke in an undisclosed role.

While Hawke's character remains a mystery, that hasn't stopped fans from speculating. Everyone from Marvel's Dracula to the Egyptian god Sun King has been paired with Hawke, although each potential part comes with little legitimate evidence. All that's known about Hawke's character is that he will serve as the "lead villain" and is based off the infamous cult leader "David Koresh."

Since teasing he and Isaac would be "fighting for good and evil" in this series, Hawke has been fairly quiet about his upcoming Marvel project. Moon Knight did debut its first footage earlier this month on Disney+ Day, none of which Hawke was part of. While fans are likely still a ways away from seeing Hawke in full costume, the actor has once again teased his character's link to higher powers.

Ethan Hawke's Mystery Moon Knight Role

Marvel

Details surrounding Moon Knight remain ominous overall, but one of its leading stars is anxious to get the word out.

Ethan Hawke spoke with Variety about his upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, which he noted is "so difficult" to stay tight-lipped about.

"It's not my personality to not just rifle all information out, so it's so difficult for me."

While the public remains in the dark on Hawke's role, the actor admitted he disclosed "everything" about his Marvel character to his son, including queries about certain Marvel "god(s)":

"My son has to know everything. He's 19. He was the perfect age for the Marvel Universe. He came of age as that whole explosion happened. Whenever I needed to know the backstory behind this god or this character, he's like, 'Ah, Dad! Let me correct you on that.' He was my go to resource."

Sun King Coming to the MCU?

With Marc Spector possessing a fairly limited rogues' gallery on the page that match Hawke's physical appearance, speculation geared itself most towards Dracula and the Sun King.

While early set photos didn't reveal much about Hawke's character, descriptions noted the actor was carrying a cane. This prop pointed speculation in the Dracula direction, as Marvel's take on the iconic vampire is known to use a walking stick every now and then; however, the latest quotes from Hawke put more stock in the Sun King basket.

In the comics, the Sun King is the human representative of the Egyptian sun god, Amon Ra, the direct antithesis of Spector's moon god, Khonshu. After being discharged from a mental institution, the Sun King slowly gained followers on his mission to take down Khonshu before ultimately aligning with Moon Knight to defeat a common enemy.

Piecing together the various breadcrumbs Hawke has left about his character, all signs point to the Sun King. 

"Fighting for good and evil"? The Sun King attempts to destroy Khonshu while also aiding Moon Knight later in the comics.

"Based [his] character on David Koresh"? The Sun King is a pseudo-cult leader much like the infamous Koresh.

"The backstory behind this god or this character"? The Sun King involves both an Egyptian sun god, Amon Ra, as well as the human representative.

And that's just the thing: the name of the Sun King's human representative is unknown. The character's birth name is a complete mystery on the page, and is only referred to as the Sun King or Patient 86. When Hawke plays coy about his character's name, it could be because he genuinely does not know.

Moon Knight is currently in post-production, and it's slated to release on Disney+ sometime in 2022.