Moon Knight: Gaspard Ulliel reportedly cast as Midnight Man in new series

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Marvel and Disney+’s Moon Knight series may be getting another villain. According to Gaspard Ulliel’s talent agency listing page, the actor has been cast as Anton Mogart, aka Midnight Man. The villainous character made his first appearance in Moon Knight #3 (circa 1981) and is described as someone who delights in collecting rare works of art, and by collecting, I mean stealing, of course. He steals simply for the thrill of it and enjoys displaying the goods in a New Jersey mansion filled with priceless artifacts and rarities. After an encounter with Moon Knight, Mogart fell into a river and was eventually spit out of a drainage viaduct in New York City. While floating in the waste, the combination of chemicals ate away at Mogart’s flesh, leaving him deformed. Blaming Moon Knight for his situation, Anton Mogart resurfaces as the villain Midnight Man and seeks revenge against the Right Fist of Konshu, aka Moon Knight.

Evidence of Ulliel’s casting was made clear by Hamilton Hodell, the actor’s casting agency. Assuming the casting call is legit, Ulliel will join Oscar Isaac (Marc Spector, aka Moon Knight) and Ethan Hawke for the anticipated superhero series.

Known for playing Manech in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s A Very Long Engagement, and Hannibal Lecter in  2007’s Hannibal Rising, Ulliel is a star of French cinema. His latest feature, titled Plus Que Jamais (More Than Ever), tells the story of a woman with a severe illness who rejects a possible cure and decides to go to Norway to spend her last days.

Before becoming Moon Knight, Marc Spector was a former Marine and CIA agent before becoming a soldier-for-hire, and he amassed quite the fortune for himself over the years. However, when a job in Cairo brought him to a secret archaeological dig, Spector was left for dead by a former colleague who massacred the workers. After dragging himself through the sands towards the tomb of Khonshu, the Egyptian moon god, Spector was placed beneath a statue of the god before his heart gave out. Khonshu then appeared before him in a vision and offered Spector a second chance at life if he would become the god’s avatar on Earth and defend the innocent.

The six-episode series will be directed by Mohamed Diab (Clash) as well as Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the filmmaking duo behind The Endless and Synchronic, and is expected to launch on Disney+ in 2022.