That is not the big news though. The real big news is the rumors about Netflix launching a Moon Knight television series are not 100% rumor. The streaming service is having such massive success so far Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, and Blade are all in development. ScreenRant has the whole story so far.
All three heroes have something in common: they have a supernatural twist to them. Of the three, Ghost Rider and Blade were featured in hit movie franchises. Moon Knight never had the chance because he is - mostly - a B character.
Moon Knight's Identity Crisis
Marvel's resident Batman Redux has had several different comic book series published featuring him and, while some were uneven, most were actually quite good. The very best Moon Knight tales - IMHO - were published in The Hulk Magazine in the late 1970's/early 1980's. Moon Knight's solo series in the early 1980's was quite good, but did not sell well. Ditto for the cancelled 1990's series. Moon Knight returned in many forms in short-lived and decently written books. The problem with Moon Knight was (and is) the character was way too close to Batman to really stand out on his own.
To separate Moon Knight from Batman, they tweaked his alter ego and gave him three alter egos. In addition to being a reclusive billionaire Steve Grant, the man behind the cape and cowl was also mercenary Marc Spector and a cab driver Jake Lockley.
What is the root of all this alter ego mania? You see, Moon Knight has a split personality disorder. On top of that, he talks to Khonshu, an Egyptian Moon God who grants him special powers. Or Moon Knight could be mentally disturbed and thinks he is talking to Khonshu.
Which Moon Knight though? In addition to "Batman Moon Knight", there is a different Moon Knight who dresses more dapper and has an arrogant personality far removed from the original version of the character.
A lot of game playing with Moon Knight's identity really created a convoluted character with limited sales potential. Moon Knight has a cult following though and Marvel enjoys revisiting the character.
Hopefully, Marvel Studios and Netflix will keep things focused on the early Marc Spector mercenary version of Moon Knight and avoid any Steve Grant/Bruce Wayne/Batman comparisons.
Better yet, Marvel could play up Moon Knight's very early supernatural traits and set the stage for the debut of.......Werewolf by Night. Wishful thinking!
Moon Knight Debuts
Moon Knight's first appearance was in the excellent 1970's Marvel horror comic Werewolf by Knight. The two-part tale (issues #32 and #33) dealt with Moon Knight trying to capture the lycanthrope on behalf of an evil syndicate. A Werewolf by Night movie was planned and, surprisingly, promotional materials were produced announcing the film but nothing came about. Why not bring The Werewolf to Netflix?
During his battle with the werewolf, Moon Knight was scratched (not bitten, scratched) and this led to Moon Knight gaining power and strength proportionate with the cycles of the moon. All that ended up being dropped over time.
Marvel and Netflix could - and should - bring it back for the streaming series because Moon Knight's greatest appeal would be turning him into a hero that walks the tightrope between traditional heroes and traditional horror tales. Ghost Rider and Blade do this to great success.
The Horror Spin
Marvel has created a host of horror and supernatural characters throughout the course of its publishing history. Superheroes are always going to be Marvel's top attractions, but the horror and supernatural characters could be successful if marketed to the right niche.
Netflix has carved out a niche with "earthen" heroes who deal with gritty, real-life problems. Daredevil, The Punisher, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage are not out to save the world. They deal with the microcosm of crime on the harsh street level. Adding MORE characters who do the same thing would risk oversaturation. The impending arrivals of Iron Fist and Shang Chi show Netflix and Marvel understand this. These two heroes represent pure martial arts fantasy, and a move away from Hell's Kitchen.
Opening a new "fan front" with supernatural heroes (and villains) absolutely would be a good move.
The new Moon Knight comic series debuted issue one in April. Sales were in the 67,000 copies range.
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