Hollywood actor Ethan Hawke joined the MCU earlier this year as a star character in Disney’s streaming-series Moon Knight, one of their most popular shows as of late.
In the show Hawke played the main antagonist, cultist Arthur Harrow, which is an interesting shift in attitude for the actor. He’s criticized Marvel int he past for translating comic books into artistic films, a comment which he defended during an IndieWire interview.
“It needs to be somebody in the community saying, ‘Hey, everybody, this is not ‘Fanny and Alexander,’” he said, also adding that he agrees with Scorsese’s similar criticisms. “If you keep reviewing these movies that are basically made for 14-year-olds like they’re ‘Fanny and Alexander’ or ‘Winter Light,’ then who the hell’s going to get to make ‘Winter Light’?”
“I appreciate the elder statesmen of the community reminding people not to set the bar too low. I know it makes some people think they’re stuck up, but they’re not stuck up.”
However, during the shooting of Moon Knight, Hawke stated that both him and co-star Oscar Isaac, who plays the show’s protagonist, were given lots of freedom to play their roles, which he fears is not extended to MCU directors.
“That group of people [at Marvel] is extremely actor-friendly,” Hawke claimed. “They might not be director-friendly, and that could be what Scorsese and Coppola are talking about. But they love actors. I think Kevin Feige had a great thing happen with Robert Downey Jr. and he understood that Downey’s passion was a large part of the success.”
“When actors are excited by a part, audiences get excited about watching them. Feige understood the algorithm there, so they’re extremely respectful toward the process. The best thing about ‘Moon Knight’ for me was Oscar’s performance. It’s a gonzo thing that happens to have a giant budget — a pretty out-there performance.”
Hawke also responded to IndieWire’s question as to whether or not he plans to be in the MCU for a long period of time.
“I’m not supposed to talk about it. I had to sign an NDA about dealing with them, but I’m not interested in long-term commitments. I protected myself because I didn’t know what it was going to be. I just wanted to know what that sandbox was like. And it’s what young people are watching, so why are we going to sit there and tell them it’s not good?”
Leave a comment below and follow The DZSH Group on Instagram and Twitter
