In joining the MCU with new series MoonKnight, Ethan Hawke learned something very important from his daughter, StrangerThings star Maya Hawke: 'As a performer, your job is to participate with the audience.'
New Marvel star Ethan Hawke reveals the valuable advice he got from his daughter Maya about interacting with the MCU's passionate fans. After years of resisting comic book fare, Hawke has officially boarded the MCU with its latest Disney+ series, Moon Knight. He plays Arthur Harrow, a cult leader who serves the Egyptian goddess Ammit. He's the primary villain for Oscar Isaac's Marc Spector, who in turn serves the god Khonshu.
Though he previously seemed to be against the superhero world, Hawke revealed recently he actually wanted to work with Marvel well before Moon Knight. The limited series has only released one episode so far, but audiences are already well informed of the kind of man Harrow is. Hawke has brought his impressive dedication to character work to Moon Knight, as seen from his very first scene. Harrow is initially shown putting broken glass in his shoes; the idea came from Hawke himself.
"[Maya] said something really beautiful to me. As a performer, your job is to participate with the audience. Yes, you want to lead and do work that you believe in, but we want people to care about art. This is what people care about. They really have a passion for the material. You have to respect them and respect their fandom and try to give them something that's worth it."
There are many within Hollywood who might be quick to dismiss superhero projects as silly or not worth much effort, but Maya's advice to her dad really nailed it. The fanbases are what keep these properties going, and they also pour a lot of love into them. It's always much more impactful when the actors care as much as the audience does. Hawke was likely able to bring this sensibility to Moon Knight, which should then make his performance even more memorable.
Moon Knight has only just begun, yet many are already looking ahead to the future. It isn't yet clear if Hawke's time in the MCU will end when all 6 episodes have been released, but one has to hope he'll get to stick around. An actor of his caliber is a major get for Marvel, and it would be interesting to see how he could further develop his character.