Marvel fans need not avoid sleep anymore. All six episodes of Moon Knight, the MCU's latest Disney+ series, are officially available to stream. Fans who have been following for the past six weeks get to see the conclusion to the story of Marc Spector (for now), while those who've remained unspoiled can finally binge-watch.
As with every Marvel property that makes it to film, the backstory of how an American mercenary becomes the sworn protector of the Egyptian god Khonshu is subject to creative liberties. Some of these changes have even drastically altered the character of Marc Spector. These ten alterations not only affect Marc, but also his alter-egos.
10 Marc Grows Up Loving Adventure Films
Episode 4 of the series finds audiences exploring Marc Spector's backstory for the first time. While Marc sits in a psychiatric hospital (that turns out to be the afterlife), a TV plays Tomb Buster, an adventure film. Fans will find this fictional film to become significant when it's revealed the main character's name is Steven Grant.
It's later revealed through flashbacks in Episode 5 that Marc developed the alter of Steven Grant due to his love for the film. Like the characters in Tomb Buster, Steven speaks with a stereotypical British accent, differing from Marc's American one. Clearly the film must've had an impact on young Marc to inspire an entire personality.
9 The Tragedy Of Marc's Brother
Unfortunately, Marc's love for adventure comes at a high cost. While exploring with his younger brother Randall, Marc is indirectly responsible for Randall's untimely death at a young age. This key moment becomes a huge turning point in Marc's life, especially in his relationship with his own mother.
It may surprise many fans that Randall actually does appear in the comics, though his role is wildly different there. As children, they had a close relationship, though the comic version of Randall gets to live past his younger years. He eventually becomes a recurring enemy of Moon Knight, under the supervillain alias Shadowknight.
8 Steven Is Created From Marc's Trauma
Moon Knight depicts a very different origin for Marc's alters than the comics. In the show, Marc first develops the identity of Steven as a way to cope with the emotional, verbal, and physical abuse he experienced from his mother. Steven doesn't even learn this face until he explores Marc's past in Episode 5 of the show.
The comics have a much simpler answer to Steven's origin. Steven Grant was one of Marc's first alters as a young adult prior to his enlisting in the United States Army as a Marine. This change happens as a result of Marc learning a close family friend was a Nazi deserter and serial killer of Jewish people.
7 Marc Works For Raul Bushman
The character of Raul Bushman is integral to the comics, though he never appears in-person in Moon Knight. Bushman is, however, mentioned by Marc during a flashback in Episode 5. Looking over the bodies of archeologists killed by Bushman, Marc tells Steven that the warlord used to be his commanding officer.
In the comics, Bushman and Marc first encounter each other as peers. After Marc is discharged from the army, him and fellow mercenary Frenchie Duchamp work with Bushman during a mission in Egypt. Similarly to the show, Bushman still betrays Marc and is the cause of his near-death experience.
6 Marc Doesn't Meet Khonshu Until Later In Life
According to Moon Knight, Marc's first encounter with the Egyptian moon god Khonshu comes after he's left for dead by Bushman in the desert. Marc slowly makes his way to Khonshu's temple, where he rests near a statue of the god. However, Khonshu appears and saves his life, making Marc his Avatar.
This origin story is for the most part comic-accurate, except for one key difference. In the comics, Marc is approached by Khonshu years earlier after the god notices his mind is weak enough to be manipulated. His near-death in Egypt is only the straw that breaks the camel's back, forcing Marc to choose servitude or death.
5 Marc Marries Layla
The Moon Knight series introduces fans to Layla El-Faouly, Marc's wife and a fellow archeologist. By the finale, Layla proves to be a pretty badass character, becoming the Avatar for Tawaret and helping Marc fight Arthur Harrow. It may surprise casual Marvel fans to discover that Layla is an original character in the MCU.
The closest character to Layla in the comics is Marlene Alraune, who is also Spector's wife. She and Layla have similar origins, as their fathers were both archeologists killed by Bushman and Marc. However, Marlene's role remains supportive in the comics, while the MCU finds her exploring her combat potential.
4 Marc Never Reconciles With His Mother
The abuse Marc suffered from his mother haunts him even as an adult. It's impressive that the MCU team managed to derive so much powerful story out of their relationship, considering Marc's mother isn't even named in the comics. She's mainly a loving, supportive figure to Marc and his brother when their father neglects them.
Marc's mother is even established as dead in certain comic runs, particularly in Issue 37 of Moon Knight's first volume. The MCU does the same, though her relationship with her son by that point is almost non-existent. Still, Marvel mines a beautiful performance out of Oscar Isaac during these flashbacks scenes in Episode 5.
3 Steven Grant The Gift Shop Worker
The alter of Steven Grant is almost a complete 180 from his portrayal in the comics. There, Steven is a millionaire whose fortune finances Spector's crime fighting pastime. The MCU takes a wildly different approach to this character, making him an anxious, goofy, polite gift shop worker at a museum in London.
This change is certainly beneficial to fans' engagement in Steven and Marc's story. Moon Knight is a more fascinating show than most Marvel projects due to its approach to introducing Marc by first introducing audiences to the mild-mannered Steven. The character also becomes more sympathetic and less like Bruce Wayne.
2 Steven Grant Only Has One Friend
The day-to-day life of Steven Grant, despite his charm, is not exactly easy. Not only does he suffer from a sleep disorder, but he also struggles with social anxiety and fitting into normal society. This is further displayed in Episode 1 when he spends his lunch break talking to a living statue in a nearby London park.
According to the show's credits (and a name-drop later in Episode 5), this character is Crawley. Hardcore comic fans will recognize this character as a significant informant during Moon Knight's escapades in New York City. Suffice it to say, changing him to a quiet street performer that Steven talks to is quite a shift in role.
1 The Role Of Jake Lockley
Fans correctly predicted the arrival of Jake Lockley into the arsenal of alters in Marc's head. However, the character does not appear until the mid-credits scene of Moon Knight's finale. There, it's revealed that Marc and Steven's deal to quit working for Khonshu has a loophole, and it's Jake Lockley-sized.
While the MCU is portraying Lockley as Khonshu's unhinged Avatar, the character's comics roots are different. In New York, Lockley is a taxi driver who gathers information from a network of informants, including Crawley. If Moon Knight gets a Season 2, it can be expected for Lockley to cause trouble for Marc and Steven.