The first official trailer for Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight has finally arrived and, in less than 24 hours, it’s won more than its fair share of praise from viewers. Many seem to be taken by the show’s darker tone, which is refreshing when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The teases of Egyptian iconography Ethan Hawke’s charismatic villain, and the character’s costume were also sweet highlights within the new footage. But of course, all eyes were on Oscar Isaac’s tormented superhero, and the actor seems to be putting everything into the performance. Yet the Internet can’t seem to get over the accent he’s chosen to use for the show.
In the past, British actors like Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Holland have donned American accents to portray their iconic heroes but, here, Oscar Issac is doing the opposite. The voice may honestly be one of the most intriguing elements of the trailer, and that’s saying a lot given everything else it has to offer. Like the titular character, fans are of two (or more) minds on the matter. One Twitter user’s sentiments perfectly sum up the conflicted feelings that some likely have:
my mind is split between appreciating how amazing moon knight looks and trying to digest oscar isaac with a british accent pic.twitter.com/cSKeaxxc6QJanuary 18, 2022
On the surface, the wave of social media messages seem to show that Americans are digging the star’s chosen style of speech, while U.K. natives are poking fun at it. Many have noted that it’s very cockney-inspired, with some likening the voice to that of Dick Van Dyke’s Burt from Mary Poppins. And fans have no problem making jokes in this regard:
I just heard Oscar Isaac's British accent in the Moon Knight trailer and gaw blimey guvnor let's ave a knees up rahnd the old joanna, apples and pears mary poppins.January 18, 2022
There are definitely other cinematic comparisons that can be made as well. Another user believes the voice is reminiscent of one used by an actor in another high-profile franchise. And believe it or not, said star is also a beloved, longtime MCU player:
Moon Knight is a show that dares to ask "What if there was a superhero inspired by Don Cheadle's accent in the Ocean's 11 movies?"January 18, 2022
Despite the criticism, there are those who seem to be living for Oscar Isaac’s efforts. It’s hard to deny that he’s putting in work, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, since he’s one of the best actors working today. And while it’s very early, some think the show could land him some awards buzz down the road:
Oscar Isaac is coming hard for his Emmy as Marc Spector in Moon Knight he nailed his English accent & his acting range is so insane it’s crazy! pic.twitter.com/uySqBO9IFhJanuary 18, 2022
Some may still be wondering, though, why this character has an accent in the first place. Well, as one fan so eloquently explained, there’s likely a specific reason for this creative choice:
Oscar Isaac's British accent is probably only for his alter as Steven Grant and will likely switch between accents as he switches alters and Moon Knight. pic.twitter.com/nmwTKykDlEJanuary 18, 2022
The comics tell us that at a young age, Marc Spector was chosen to be the earthly avatar of the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu. The god’s subsequent influence on Spector’s mind would ultimately cause him to adopt multiple identities, like the aforementioned Steven Grant alter ego. This will surely make things interesting and should help to distinguish the character from other heroes in the cinematic universe.
Whether you like the accent or not, most would probably agree, at the very least, that Oscar Isaac has landed on the overall headspace needed to play the haunted character. This is especially impressive when you consider that Isaac (a former comic book collector) didn’t know much about the hero before signing on. We’ll have to wait and see if the voice grows on doubtful viewers. But let’s be honest, if the accent is the biggest problem here, then his portrayal is already miles ahead of his X-Men: Apocalypse character.
Moon Knight makes its Disney+ debut on March 30.
