The first handful of Marvel TV shows for Disney+ focused on characters who first appeared in the movies, fleshing out their stories and setting the stage for an exciting future. Now, the TV division introduces a new hero: Moon Knight. Starring Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant/Marc Spector, the limited series is now streaming on Disney+, looking to push the MCU into new territory. Marketing materials have established it as a darker, more character-driven entry in the franchise.

Screen Rant had a chance to interview Moon Knight executive producer Grant Curtis, discussing the process of bringing the character to life for the first time, the evolution of superhero movies and shows, and much more.

Related: Why Moon Knight Didn't Mention Thanos (& Why It's Perfect)

The first four episodes are fantastic, so congratulations. What was your number one goal in making Moon Knight the series?

Grant Curtis: Oh, thank you. I think the number one goal in making this series was really to reflect an incredible character that was created decades ago.

This is a character that was first launched in 1975, in issues 32 and 33 of Werewolf By Night. Then he went on to bounce around a couple of different Marvel IPs for the next five years, and then Moon Knight issue #1 came out in 1980. So, as you can tell, we're almost dealing with - good grief - 40 plus years of storytelling.

The main goal was really just to give those fans of those decades of comics something to chew on the screen, and to be excited by, and I think we did it. I think we did it with Oscar Isaac, I think we did it with May Calamawy, and with Ethan Hawke; our incredible cast, and our incredible directors, Mohamed Diab, and Benson and Moorhead. I think we've made the fans of the IP on the page happy, and we'll find out March 30.

You mentioned there's a lot of diehard fans of Moon Knight. But then there's also those people that say, "I've never heard of this character, he's more obscure. Where do I dive in?" If you could recommend a wine and cheese pairing, is there a comic you feel people should read if they want to know more about Moon Knight?

Grant Curtis: Well, here's the great thing about the Moon Knight series we made. It's definitely in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but whether you have seen all of the other Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings or this is your first deep dive, as long as you're a fan of really good storytelling, I think you're going to find an aspect of Moon Knight for you. You don't need to have that previous knowledge.

But if I was going to pick a pairing, one of the things I always point out [is to] always go back to the origin stories. Always grab that 1980 issue #1; find out how he was first represented on the page. That's the first pairing I always give them, and I think that's usually the most resourceful one if you're just jumping in. Go back to where it all began.

I just read the Lemire and Smallwood run, and it knocked my socks off.

Grant Curtis: Me too! I still have no socks. I love their run. It's amazing; they're great storytellers.

How did you go about choosing Steven as the entry point rather than meeting Marc right at the beginning?

Grant Curtis: Well, hats off to our head writer Jeremy Slater. It was one of the things that Jeremy really wanted to do from day one. He said, "I want to put the audience in the front row seat as this mystery adventure unfolds. I want them to be in the front row seat with the characters."

So, as Steven is learning about this new life with Marc and as Marc is learning about this new life with Steven, I want the audience to feel it as they feel it. That's really the way he wrote episode 1, and I think it was extremely smart. Because it gives that audience automatic connectivity to the character and the emotional struggles of both Marc and Steven - and that Moon Knight and Mr. Knight are going through, for that matter. I think it was a very wise decision. And again, hats off to Jeremy.

Going back to what you were saying about coming into this series, it's true that the MCU can get a little overwhelming for people after a certain point. But this one is so accessible for new fans.

Grant Curtis: Accessible indeed. I do think, if you're a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you will see those Easter eggs that we've peppered throughout this. And I think you'll get a kick out of them.

But again, if this is your first dive into the MCU, I think this globetrotting action-adventure that we take Marc Spector and Steven Grant on, I think you're going to enjoy it. We'll find out March 30; I can't wait.

Me neither. I've always said there's no such thing as too many Oscar Isaacs, and we know that Mr. Knight has a lot of friends that could potentially help them. Do you have a favorite that you wanted to feature? How many Oscar Isaacs could we be blessed with?

Grant Curtis: You can never get too much of Oscar. That was one of the things.

When you're looking at Steven Grant and Marc Spector on the page, what we realized early on - and obviously, it goes without saying if you know that IP - is this is a very complex character going through real issues that are struggles and challenges. And we needed to find that actor and work with that actor who is at the top of his game that was really willing to dive into this complex character. And thankfully, that was Oscar.

I gotta tell you, I remember sitting on set the first day that he was working both as Marc and Steven, and I was spellbound. I was spellbound that day, and I'm still spellbound to this day. Going into the editing room, I look at scenes, and there's things in this performance that I see new every day. That's why he's working at the top of his game, that's why he's so good at his craft, and I can't wait to see where Oscar goes with Moon Knight in the future and just in his own career. I think he's amazing.

You're so right, because Marc and Steven could both be shown on screen, and you would be able to know without them saying anything which one is Marc and which one is Steven.

Grant Curtis: Yeah. To this day, I can look at a still frame when we're going through pictures on set, and I can tell you who is Steven and who is Marc. And that's only because of the great Oscar Isaac. That's what he's able to pull off, and he does it seamlessly. It's truly, truly impressive.

And obviously, it goes without saying, May Calamawy and Ethan Hawke are absolutely intoxicating and mesmerizing in their own right. It's an embarrassment of riches when you look at our cast; it's truly people at the top of their game. I've talked about this before, but when you look at Oscar and Ethan and May - I know that sounds odd, but I don't look at them as actors. First and foremost, I look at them as storytellers. The canvas and the paintbrush with which they paint is acting. But they're storytellers, first and foremost.

We would be in really long sessions on the weekends, just picking apart the scripts, and they'd be adding stuff to characters and all the scenes. They'd be taking deep dives, and that only comes from a storyteller's point of view. I'm not knocking the craft of acting at all, but they were telling the story from the ground up. It showed, and it was amazing.

We have these characters, Layla and Arthur, and a lot of people are wondering: is this a comic counterpart? Is this somebody we already know on the page? Is there anything you can say about that? 

Grant Curtis: I can tell you this: as we peel back the layers episode by episode on Layla and Arthur Harrow, I think what they brought to the table is going to blow the audience away.

There's connectivity to the comic books for both characters, but it's really what Ethan and May brought to the table that ultimately made the Layla and the Arthur Harrow that you're going to see on screen.

I was listening to Ethan talk the other day, and it was so cool, because he said, "I can make a case that Arthur Harrow is actually the protagonist of this show and not the antagonist. I can make a case that he's the hero and not the villain." And I think it was that point of view, of him as an actor and a storyteller - that's what he brought to this character. I think that's what makes the character of Arthur Harrow so mesmerizing, because it can only be told through the eyes of Ethan Hawke.

Yeah, he's so enticing that I'm like, "Would I join this cult? I think I might."

Grant Curtis: That's why I said, "Oh, you actually sound pretty good!"

You also produced the Spider-Man films with Sam Raimi. How have you seen the superhero landscape evolve since then, and is it wild to think about that time versus now?

Grant Curtis: It's bananas. Obviously, Marvel is leading that charge, and Kevin and Lou and Victoria and Brad. But one thing I look back on - one thing I learned from Sam early on - is that he always told me, "If you don't care about Peter Parker, you're not going to care about Spider-Man soaring through New York City." Character, character, character. I think that's what the Marvel Cinematic Universe is, and I think that's what's been driving Kevin. Character, character character. You always look at it from Peter Parker's eyes, or Tony Stark's eyes, or, in our case, Marc Spector and Steven Grant.

I think that's what makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe so rich. They're really character stories. And sometimes that gets swept away in all the spectacle; they go into space, and we've got talking trees and stuff. But really, it's all about character first, and I think Kevin leading that charge has made an incredible universe that keeps on expanding, keeps on growing, and keeps on being new.

I think that's one of the things I'm really proud about with Moon Knight. It's new, it's original, and you have not seen this slice of the Marvel Cinematic Universe before. I think that's why wherever Moon Knight lands next, wherever Kevin Feige plants him next, I think it's going to merge very seamlessly. Because there's so many aspects of Moon Knight that are unique but also blend well with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The future is wide open and, as a fanboy, I can't wait to see what he does next.

Next: Moon Knight Avoided Marvel's Batman Problem With 1 Major Origin Change

Moon Knight is now streaming on Disney+. New episodes debut on Wednesdays.