Moon Knight star Ethan Hawke reacts to the fan theory that his character, the antagonist Arthur Harrow, is really Dracula. Hawke’s previous credits include the Before trilogy, Boyhood, Training Day, Sinister, and First Reformed, netting him four Oscar nominations across his career. His work in Moon Knight will be his second major television role after The Good Lord Bird in 2020.
Moon Knight, set to premiere March 30, follows the titular hero, played by Oscar Isaac, a mercenary with dissociative identity disorder who must solve a mystery involving the charismatic cult leader Harrow who sees Moon Knight as an obstacle to his goal of healing the world. Hawke had talked about taking inspiration from real-world cult leaders such as David Koresh, who had a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. Hawke has also previously mentioned the amount of creative freedom he was given while developing his character for Moon Knight.
In an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Hawke responds to the theory that his character is a modern version of Dracula. Hawke reacts to the idea with surprise and excitement, saying how much he wishes the theory was true. Fallon then plays a clip from the series that shows Hawke’s character standing in direct sunlight, something Dracula wouldn’t be able to do, thus immediately debunking the theory. Read Hawke’s quote on the subject below:
“That is awesome. I so want that to be true. Your expectation is so intense I want to say yes so bad…I am Dracula. You heard it hear first, to hell with the lawyers, Dracula it is…I wanna be Dracula so bad.”
Moon Knight‘s emphasis on Egyptian mythology seems at odds with any idea that Dracula would appear, given Dracula’s origin was from a British novel drawn from Transylvanian folklore and history. The focus on Egyptian mythology is punctuated by Moon Knight‘s principal director Mohamed Diab, previously known for his film Cairo 678. The other episodes were directed by duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, known for their films Resolution, Spring, and The Endless.
According to Hawke, Moon Knight was filmed a lot faster than most Marvel shows given the extensive amount of rehearsal and character work he did with Isaac, and the tight bond between the cast and crew. In a world where big-budget entertainment is slowly becoming ruled by one company, this seems like a way more auteur-driven work can sneak in under the radar, by letting actors do work they value under the umbrella of intellectual property. In the end, Hawke’s work speaks for itself, and Moon Knight will be loved by its target audience, which in the end is all one can really hope for.
Source: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
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