Oscar Isaac was already a big deal before joining the MCU as Moon Knight. He did, after all, star as Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. So, it’s not that Isaac is unaccustomed to the kind of spotlight that comes with a big franchise. But that doesn’t mean the role of Steven Grant/Marc Spector and their alter, ego, Moon Knight, didn’t come with challenges.
And, of course, it doesn’t mean Isaac wasn’t up for some advice from the so-called Godfather of the MCU himself, Robert Downey Jr. In an interview with Extra, Isaac was asked if he’d talked to any MCU star before he’d taken on the titular role in Moon Knight, and his response showed that it’s good to have friends, and it’s especially good to have friends who can understand the experience you’re about to embark on.
“I did talk to Robert Downey Jr. quite a bit,” Isaac shared. “I talked to him a lot. I mean, he’s a friend already, and so just talking to him about it and just what his sense of it is and how his process has been, and he was such a great, great person to talk to, obviously about the whole thing. And also, for me, the biggest inspiration, because to this day, still, that first Iron Man movie is just so good.”
Isaac went on to say that Downey said, “Kevin Feige [the President of Marvel Studios] is a genius and he’s a collaborator. So don’t be afraid to come in and give your ideas and give your thoughts and to be bold with your choices.”
For Marvel fans, it’s hard to imagine what the MCU would look like without Downey’s influence. And yet, with a new, more diverse universe opening up before us, it’s great to see that the stars that are meant to carry the MCU going forward can get the support – and advice – they need from the big names that came before them.
And though a Moon Knight/Iron Man team-up might have to remain a dream, it’s still good to know an Oscar Isaac/Robert Downey Jr. one isn’t.