The latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe , Moon Knight, is the first superhero in the franchise to be diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID). Oscar Isaac stars as the titular hero, a masked vigilante empowered by the spirit of an ancient Egyptian deity whose mild-mannered alter ego is wrestling with serious mental issues of his own. Also starring Ethan Hawke and May Calamawy, Moon Knight is Marvel’s fifth live-action series, after Wandavision , The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , Loki and Hawkeye , but the first to be headlined by a previously unseen character. Steven Grant (Isaac) is an unassuming British museum employee who lives alone in London and works in the gift shop. Steven, who has a deep fascination for ancient Egyptian history, suffers from blackouts and bouts of sleepwalking, waking up in strange locations and experiencing vivid hallucinations of an altogether more dangerous life. During one of these episodes, Steven encounters the mysterious Arthur Harrow (Hawke), who wields incredible powers and predicts the coming of Ammit, an ancient god with the ability to foresee people’s future wrongdoings. After Hawkeye and Wandavision, TV takes centre stage in the MCU Struggling to maintain his grasp on reality, Steven learns that he is at the centre of a global threat, and only by relinquishing control of his body to his alter ego, American mercenary Marc Spector, is he able to stay alive. Marc seems to know Harrow and understand his nefarious plan; he also appears to have been married to Layla (Calamawy), a feisty young woman who crashes into Steven’s life. Marc can also explain the strange voice in Steven’s head: Khonshu (voiced by F. Murray Abraham), an Egyptian moon god who uses Marc as his crime-fighting conduit and has imbued him with superhuman abilities. A lesser-known character in Marvel’s huge roster of crime fighters, Moon Knight first appeared in comic-book form in 1975. Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin, he was initially an antagonist in Werewolf by Night , before being retooled as a more heroic figure in storylines for The Defenders and in backup stories in Hulk! Magazine . He first appeared in his own self-titled publication in 1980. This history has led some fans to speculate that The Incredible Hulk, or his alter ego Bruce Banner (played by Mark Ruffalo), may feature in the new Moon Knight series. The theory holds some water, as Marvel does not currently hold the rights to the Hulk name, and the character can only be featured in ensemble films like The Avengers or Thor: Ragnarok , the latter of which drew heavily from the Planet Hulk comic book storyline. Bedecked in lunar grey ceremonial robes or a smartly tailored three-piece suit, depending on whether Marc or Steven is in control, Moon Knight’s masked escapades of self-styled vigilantism have reminders of DC Comics’ Batman. Steven’s disorder, which sees him wrestle with himself as often as with genuine adversaries, is reminiscent of Venom , the alien symbiote that takes hold of Tom Hardy’s intrepid reporter Eddie Brock in Sony’s ongoing franchise. Despite these cursory similarities, the creators of Moon Knight have gone to great lengths to establish a unique place for the character within this increasingly crowded arena. As the action moves from London to Egypt, the show embraces the cultural and mythological elements of the character’s origins. Egyptian director Mohamed Diab, who directs four of the episodes, seems eager to include elements of contemporary Egyptian culture as well as more obvious ancient historical aspects. Hesham Nazih’s rich and eclectic score is particularly effective at immersing the viewer in this vibrant and exotic setting. Moon Knight intertwines the compulsory Marvel action beats with an Indiana Jones -style archaeological adventure, but what makes the show really stand apart is the intense, disorienting perspective of the titular character. Steven’s violently unstable condition causes the character – and as a result the narrative – to leap from one location to the next without fully comprehending how we got there or what has happened in the interim. There’s a whiff of psychological horror to these moments, which are directed with assured clarity by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. Responsible for directing the show’s more recognisable volatile episodes, their background in independent horror films is fully exploited to wonderfully psychedelic effect as Steven battles to retain his grasp on reality. How Moon Knight will slot into the rest of the MCU is unclear at this stage. In addition to Hulk, the character has also been associated with Blade; another fan favourite, soon to be rebooted with two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali taking over from Wesley Snipes. Half-blood vampire hunter Blade was conceived by writer Marv Wolfman, who also penned Moon Knight’s first solo story. Whatever his fate, Moon Knight should slot comfortably into a cinematic universe that appears to be venturing ever further into the multiverse, the supernatural, and other previously uncharted realms. Moon Knight will start streaming on Disney+ on March 30.