Moon Knight premiered on Disney+ on March 30, sharing a first look at Oscar Isaac's dual role of Steven Grant and Marc Spector.
In the first episode the character is predominantly seen as Steven with moments where he dissociates when experiencing high stress, such as fighting off gunmen, only to wake up with blood on his hands and his attackers dead around him.
Steven's disorder is not fully explained in the premiere episode, so for those who are curious here is everything you need to know about it.
What Disorder Does Steven Grant / Marc Spector Have?
Steven/Marc has dissociative identity disorder (DID), an illness that sees him switch between identities Steven and Marc seemingly at will, though at first the former is not aware of how this takes place.
When fighting off assailants sent by Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), Steven panics as Egyptian god Khonshu tells Marc to "take control," leading to Steven losing consciousness when he is in danger of dying.
As this happens the camera skips and then finds Steven moments later. One scene sees him covered in blood after a fistfight while another shows him holding a gun he took from an attacker while dissociated.
Steven also sees Marc in his reflection, whether that be in a mirror or a window pane, and Marc calls out to him to let him take control of their shared body.
In the final moments of the episode, Steven agrees to let Marc take over to fight off a demon dog. It is then he transforms into his Moon Knight costume.
Antje A. T. S. Reinders and Dick J. Veltman wrote in a British Journal of Psychiatry article "Dissociative identity disorder: out of the shadows at last?" that the illness is a "severely debilitating disorder."
Reinders and Veltman wrote that DID is defined as when a person has "two or more distinct identities or personality states that coincide, with fluctuating consciousness and changing access to autobiographical memory."
They added that there is debate over how a person gets DID, with one argument being it is a severe form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by childhood trauma, and the other that it is a result of "suggestion and enactment and is facilitated by high levels of fantasy proneness and suggestibility."
While the cause of DID continues to be a subject of debate, Reinders and Veltman shared evidence that supported the trauma model theory.
What are Moon Knight's Powers?
Marc, and by association Steven, has access to powers given to him by Khonshu, as he is the deity's chosen champion.
Marc's powers are accessed through a Moon Knight suit that covers his body when he wills it to, though how this is possible is not entirely explained.
Through the suit he gains superhuman strength and dexterity, and the superhero costume also protects him from weapons such as bullets.
In the original comics, Marc is said to have enhanced strength, prophetic visions, and the ability to drain a person's life force, per Marvel.
Moon Knight airs Wedensdays on Disney+.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Roxy Simons is a Newsweek TV and Film Reporter (SEO), based in London, U.K. Her focus is reporting on the ... Read more
