You’ve probably heard people mention Marvel Studios or the entire superhero genre. This is quite common considering how popular the properties are within pop culture. Famous Hollywood directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese have left some of the worst comments. However, even big stars like Angelina Jolie and Christian Bale end up signing on to projects.
Bale played Gorr, the God Butcher, in Thor – Love and Thunder .. He was rumored to have never touched a Marvel project. Yet, here he was facing Chris Hemsworth.
So what compelled these actors to join? Bale said that part of his motivation was to support his family. Hawke was the villain in Moon Knight .. Recently, Hawke revealed that his children were also key to why he signed up. More specifically, much of his thanks go to Maya, his daughter of Stranger Things fame.
Ethan Hawke is Convinced by Family to Join Marvel
In an interview, Ethan Hawke talked about his experiences on Moon Knight , and how his daughter Maya (also known as Robin Buckley in Stranger things ,) was a key factor in his decision to join the MCU.
The actor shared that she would tell him he should “go into [Marvel’s] sandbox, play with them, and show them what you have to offer,” which is a piece of wisdom he then shared with co-star Oscar Isaac:
“Maya might say to me: “Why are you standing on the outside telling everybody their sandboxes are bad?” You should go in their sandbox and play with them. Oscar Isaac asked me what I meant. “We have to play in Marvel’s Sandbox. Let’s see if we can do the same thing.” It doesn’t matter if we change Marvel. It’s enough to demonstrate what they can do and let them know if it’s interesting. We had many rehearsals, and we worked hard on the show. It was a great experience. “
While talking with Express, Hawke offered more on the topic, noting how Maya told him that “the people who love movies right now are going to see [Marvel] movies:”
” I was contemplating whether or not to make this move and Maya was talking about how many people love movies now and they will see them. You want to be there and play with the audience and do something great… these people are really passionate about movies, and so is mine so it feels like an ideal fit .”
The actor continued a conversation to E! Online, saying that “we want people to care about art… [and] this is what people care about:”
“[Maya] spoke a truth to me that was really profound. As a performer your role is to interact with the audience. You want to be a leader and make art that people care about. People care about this. These people have passion for the subject. Respect them, their fans and give them something they will appreciate .”
With Screenrant, Hawke revealed that his 13-year-old daughter even looked at him differently when she saw him in a trailer for Moon Knight:
” I will tell you the truth. I have a 13-year-old, and she saw the Moon Knight trailer and she was like… She was shocked to see that I had become an actor. It was on her smartphone and she watched it. She couldn’t believe her eyes. “That’s what kids are talking about at school.”
Maya Hawke Supports the Marvel Audience
While it’s easy to look past, it truly is Marvel Studios that played a massive part in reviving the movie theater scene coming out of the COVID-19 crisis. ShangChi’s success and the Legend of the Ten Rings ‘ helped movies to finally be released into theaters without any delays.
Then Spider-Man : No Way Home ”s Christmas release proved that the industry was not dying. Top Gun showed that projects other than superheroes can be still successful.
While it might be tempting for audiences to dismiss Marvel films, Maya Hawke’s wise words offer a useful frame of reference when looking at the whole thing. This genre has a great audience and is helping to make the industry thrive in a time when so many thought it was over.
Hopefully other major actors such as Ethan Hawke and Oscar Isaac will continue to encourage others to join the Marvel train.
Moon Knight is streaming now on Disney+
