Moon Knight: Depicting Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Spoiler Alert: This analysis includes significant spoilers for the first season of the Disney+ TV show "Moon Knight."

"Moon Knight," a Marvel comic-inspired TV show on Disney+, takes a unique approach to depicting Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder. This article, Part 1 of a two-part series, explores the show's accurate portrayals of DID:

Accurate Portrayals:

1. Multiple Identities:
2. The show portrays DID through the character of Steven Grant (played by Oscar Isaac), who discovers he has another personality named Marc Spector.

3. These different identities demonstrate the complexity of DID, often manifesting with distinct skills, abilities, and knowledge.

4. Varying Awareness:

5. The show highlights the varying levels of awareness that different identities may have of one another.

6. Notably, Marc is aware of Steven, while neither is initially aware of a third violent personality named Jake Lockley.

7. Internal Communication:

8. Marc and Steven communicate with each other through reflective surfaces, an innovative metaphor that mirrors the internal communication that occurs within a DID system.

9. System Cooperation:

10. While Steven and Marc initially clash, they eventually work together to overcome challenges, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between different alters.

11. This collaboration demonstrates how alters can unite for the well-being of the entire system.

12. Fictional Inspiration:

13. The show addresses the phenomenon of DID patients reporting an identity based on a fictional character.
14. In "Moon Knight," Marc's creation of Steven Grant as an alter is influenced by a childhood movie character that provided him comfort.

"Moon Knight" presents a more accurate depiction of DID than many previous pop culture representations, offering a valuable opportunity to inform and educate audiences about this complex mental health condition.

This concludes Part 1 of our analysis of "Moon Knight"'s portrayal of DID. In Part 2, we'll examine aspects of the show's portrayal that fall short.