Gaspard Ulliel’s Midnight Man Won’t Return to Moon Knight

Moon Knight Episode 3 introduced us to yet another villain, but if you missed noticing who it was, it’s not your fault. The character did not have any evil schemes yet, wasn’t portrayed in his costume, or even mentioned by his villain avatar!

But die-hard comic book fans may have picked up the name Anton Mogart, the civilian persona of Midnight Man. 

Sadly, it looks like this will be the first and the last time we see the character on screen. Or at least in this series.

In Marvel’s Moon Knight, Gaspard Ulliel played the iconic villain Anton Mogart/Midnight Man but was killed off in his first appearance.

This was due to the actor’s sudden death in a skiing accident in January 2022. It is unknown if the character is completely scrapped from the MCU or if another actor will helm the role in the future.

The show also dedicated the episode to Ulliel, whose performance was definitely cherished no matter how short it was. As to whether the character itself will return to the MCU, here are a few musings on the matter.

Who is Midnight Man?

So, Marc and Layla go to Mogart because he owns the sarcophagus of the medjay who knew the location of Ammit’s tomb. To say that Mogart is wealthy is an understatement, as he openly flaunts his priceless artifacts.

Mogart in the comics, too, was a collector of antiquities and rare finds that he acquired through theft. But he never did it for the money as he did not re-sell his collection.

Soon, he got into a tussle with Moon Knight, who left him to die in a river. Spoiler alert—he survived albeit with some facial deformities and became obsessed with the idea of defeating Moon Knight once and for all.

Oh, and he’s known as the Joker to Moon Knight’s Batman.

Will Midnight Man return to the MCU?

In the show, it isn’t explicitly stated that Mogart acquired the sarcophagus or any other items through theft, but it is implied that it was through nefarious means.

At this point, Moon Knight isn’t even concerned with what Mogart’s business is, as he’s too busy with Harrow.

But since Midnight Man was quite a big adversary to Moon Knight, his return was expected after S1 via a movie or another season.

Sadly, Ulliel’s death means that the show had to rewrite his bits. This is why although he is credited for four Moon Knight episodes, he is seemingly killed off in Episode 3 itself when Marc throws a spear in Mogart’s direction.

Mogart, who is riding a horse, lets out a yelp as we hear the sound of the spear pierce him. With all the smoke and positioning, it’s impossible to tell if the attack killed him. But I don’t expect him to return this season.

The show has also not divulged if the character had a bigger role to play in Moon Knight which was cut/rewritten.

This doesn’t mean Midnight Man may never return to the MCU. Even when Mogart had a “comeback” in the comics, his face was disfigured which is why he had to take on the persona of Midnight Man.

It is possible that the MCU may use this to their advantage and cast another actor.

Some fans also think that Mogart’s son, Jeff Wilde, may take on the mantle of Midnight Man as a way of avenging his father—very similar to the storyline he had in the comics.

Whichever route they go down, it was great to see Gaspard Ulliel’s version of Anton Mogart. If he did film some scenes as Midnight Man, I do hope we get to see it.

About Moon Knight

Moon Knight is an American superhero television series created for Disney+ based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The 6-episode series is directed by Mohamed Diab and the team of Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead. Jeremy Slater is the head writer for the sixth MCU Show.

The series follows Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, who becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life. Steven discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.

Oscar Isaac, May Calamawy, and Ethan Hawke star in the Disney+ series.