Oscar Isaac Tried Really Hard To Sneak The MCU's First F-Bomb Into Moon Knight
"Moon Knight" represents many things for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Oscar Isaac-led series marks a long overdue exploration into depictions of mental illness, it continues to treat Egyptian culture and mythology with a healthy respect, and it has even gone the extra mile to set itself apart visually from the rest of the franchise. And now on top of everything else, we can add yet another milestone to the superhero show — it was almost the one where Isaac was able to get Marvel to break their own rules about F-bombs.
Movies that are rated PG-13, as all the Marvel films have been to this point, come with the MPAA-driven stipulation that only a single utterance of the word "f***" is allowed in dialogue (and even then, only under certain circumstances) without requiring an R-rating. Of course, no installment of the MCU has ever actually taken advantage of this leeway over the years — well, not explicitly, at any rate. But if Oscar Isaac had gotten his way, "Moon Knight" would've been the first production in the entire franchise to transcend its predecessors and enshrine itself in vulgar Valhalla. Alas, it was not to be ... though not for a lack of trying.
In an interview with ScreenRant, the actor portraying Steven Grant/Marc Spector opened up about his valiant attempts to bring a certain curse-laden internet meme to life on one of the biggest platforms around. Finally, an actor using their clout and privilege for the good of humanity! Though he doesn't specify exactly which scene and episode this would've taken place in, Isaac describes a confrontation between Marc and Steven (with Isaac's brother standing in for the character's other identity on-set) where he actually filmed several takes that included the dreaded "queen mother of dirty words" that once got young Ralphie Parker in so much trouble.
"My brother and I, there's this meme that we think is really, really funny. It's this English kid that's got a tie on his head. He's rapping, and then just a punch comes out of nowhere and punches him and he goes, "Oh, f**k, I can't believe you've done this!" A lot of people know what I'm talking about. And so I was like, 'We've got to find an opportunity to do that.'"
But because life is full of disappointments, it would seem we were robbed of this special moment.
'I thought, in Disney, because it's TV or whatever, that you get one F-bomb'
Never forget what they took from you! Arguably Oscar Isaac's best-ever performance included one of the most cathartic F-bombs you'll ever hear in "Inside Llewyn Davis," so why not attempt to recapture some of that magic with his manic portrayal of Steven Grant and Marc Spector? As it turns out, unfortunately, even an actor of Isaac's talent level has his limits. He went on to explain to ScreenRant that:
"...this seemed like the perfect time to do it. So I did it. I did a lot of takes where I actually say, 'Oh, f**k' and I thought, in Disney, because it's TV or whatever, that you get one F-bomb. But ultimately, not even one. We don't even get the one, so we had to change it. But basically, that is just my homage to that."
This will come as a slight contradiction to viewers who could've sworn (see what I did there?) that they'd heard Isaac actually yell The Word That Must Not Be Spoken back in episode 2, when Marc finally snaps and descends into a screaming match with Steven during what I still consider one of the best scenes in the series so far. Despite social media's insistence, however, Isaac's quotes would seem to set the record straight on that count. Ah, well, at least we'll always have Marvel Studios' take on "Deadpool" to look forward to?
You can catch up on "Moon Knight" on the Disney+ streaming service, with new episodes airing every Wednesday ... sans F-bombs, naturally.