Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight could’ve taken a drastically different turn if early drafts of the script had stuck. According to series creator Jeremy Slater, the original plan was to make the show’s main villain none other than Bushman, a grounded and deadly mercenary from the comics, rather than the philosophical cult leader Arthur Harrow, portrayed by Ethan Hawke.
In a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Slater opened up about the creative decisions made during the show’s development and how Bushman was almost the central antagonist.
“We really tried to make Bushman work as the principal antagonist for the first couple of drafts,” Slater said. “If Marc Spector was the Avatar of Khonshu, we were going to take Bushman and make him the avatar of a different Egyptian god and let them duke it out.”
Why Bushman Was Scrapped
Bushman, known in the comics as Moon Knight’s most brutal and personal enemy, was meant to be a grounded and intense villain. But according to Slater, the idea was eventually abandoned due to comparisons with another iconic MCU villain: Killmonger from Black Panther.
“The problem we kept running into was Black Panther had just come out and Michael B. Jordan was so damn good as Killmonger in that movie… Bushman doesn’t have superpowers. His skill is that he’s a great fighter, lethal with weapons, tactically trained — all of which also describe Erik Killmonger.”
Slater feared that using Bushman so soon after Killmonger might feel repetitive or uninspired, especially without enough room to differentiate the two.
Lost Scenes: Archeological Warfare and Tomb Traps
Scrapping Bushman also meant scrapping an entire storyline Slater was excited about. Originally, the series was supposed to feature intense tomb-based warfare, reminiscent of classic adventure films.
“We had a cool storyline where the two of them were going to go to war beneath a pyramid in a bunch of old booby-trapped burial chambers — trying to murder each other in the dark. I always thought that would be a dynamite episode.”
Instead, the final version of Moon Knight introduced Arthur Harrow — a quieter, more philosophical adversary who sought balance through judgment and pain.
Could Bushman Still Appear in the MCU?
While the Disney+ series ultimately favored a supernatural and psychological approach over brute force, Bushman isn’t off the table for good. As Slater noted, the character may still find a place in Moon Knight’s story if the character returns in future MCU phases.
“There’s always a chance,” Slater hinted, leaving the door open for future appearances.
Although Bushman never made it to screen, the creative push-and-pull behind Moon Knightreflects Marvel Studios’ ongoing struggle to balance comic-book accuracy with cinematic innovation — and the desire to keep things fresh, even in a universe now decades deep.
