Moon Knight’s Jeff Lemire Wasn’t Consulted for Disney+ Adaptation (Exclusive)

When it comes to comic book adaptations, it doesn’t often get more faithful than Moon Knight. The Oscar Isaac-starring live-action series was largely based on a story arc crafted in a comics run by Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood, down to the series-long plot device of the character being locked away in an asylum. At roughly the same time the Disney+ was being produced, Hawkeye featured Matt Fraction as a consulting producer given his comics run with David Aja heavily inspired the live-action series. Fast forward a few months and renowned writer Tom King joined the creative committee steering the storytelling efforts of the new DC Universe.

But with Moon Knight, Lemire didn’t earn a producer credit. As the writer recalls, he didn’t even get a phone call from Marvel Studios regarding the show. “You learn a lot doing this. I guess you always knew, that at the end of the day, you don’t control work for hire stuff. But no, I was not contacted in any way,” Lemire tells us.

Regardless, Lemire says he’s happy the series he created with Smallwood, which ran for 14 issues, has now become a favorite amongst fans of the character—even though he was consulted or paid for largely inspiring the television series.

“I’m very proud of that Moon Knight run. I know people really like it and it’s great that people responded to it and I love it,” the creator adds. “Then you just learn that at the end of the day, it’s much better to do your own work, your creator owned stuff, because you have that control over it and because it can sting a little bit to have people being heavily influenced by things you created and not being credited or compensated, so you kind of have to just move on and do your own thing.”

Moon Knight is now streaming in its entirety on Disney+ while Essex County premieres on CBC March 19th.

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