Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Studios

  • REVIEW: ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 4

    REVIEW: ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 4

    Viewers finally got to see the Moon Knight episode that creators and critics have been teasing for weeks. The series’ fourth episode packs quite a lot into its runtime, but the only part that viewers are going to cling on to going forward is that twist of an ending. It was quite the exciting changeup, and it truly revamps the narrative on multiple levels and allows the psychological mystery setup to pay off dramatically. Comic book fans might recognize how eerily similar the psych ward at the end of the episode is to the popular Jeff Lemire-Greg Smallwood run, but it does not need that connection to carry its excitement forward. It does beg the question—between where the episode left the previous “reality” and where this new reality could go, how can Moon Knight possibly wrap this story up in a satisfying way with only two episodes left?

    The episode pre-twist was notable for several reasons. It brought with it its own genre because with Khonshu out of the picture it turned into a more recognizable adventure a la Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider. Admittedly, it was not the most thrilling plotline the MCU had ever explored, but the wealth of Egyptian lore in Episode 4 was extremely interesting and packed a lot of potential into the series. Still, the pre-twist episode spent time adding major detail to not only the main story but also several of the characters. Had the episode not ended in a twist, there would have been a great deal of speculation leading out of this episode purely on the Arthur Harrow and Ammit plot. But, as we know, Harrow seemingly kills Marc Spector who drifts away through water only to reawaken someplace very different.  

    While the information in the pre-twist episode still, hopefully, brings value to the series later, it is difficult to expect any viewer to truly pay attention to that when Marc wakes up in what looks like a mental institution or psych ward. Everything we thought we knew is turned upside down, which brings the theme of wondering what is real and what isn’t back into the spotlight after the first episode. Moon Knight gave a sense of security with the reveal of Marc and Khonshu, and nothing had really suggested that they were not real or that the story was not taking place in reality. Now, Episode 4 spends its last ten minutes or so trying to convince you that none of it was real—sort of. The odd amount of Egyptian imagery and, of course, what looks like Egyptian goddess Taweret (whose stuffed animal we saw in the gift shop in Episode 1) suggests that this mental institution is not simply the true reality either.

    So now Moon Knight is genuinely and beautifully under the “What is real?” umbrella. The already-phenomenal psychological aspect of the series will take center stage in a grand way going forward without a doubt. A psych ward—or some kind of projection of it—is the perfect place to dive deeper into the Marc/Steven psyche. There are many obvious Easter eggs (such as the cupcakes, Gus, maps, the adventure film, etc.) to suggest that what we watched of the series so far may have actually all been in Marc’s head. There is also a very eager extra sarcophagus like the one Steven was found in that has to be the most obvious tease of another personality of the entire series. Given how the episode ended, it looks like the next episode could have an escape-oriented theme with Marc and Steven working together as two different bodies. This is a perfect way to “bring to life” to both alters the amazing performance that Oscar Isaac has already put in with the characters so far. Watching them interact may very well be the highlight of Moon Knight.

    While previous episodes felt as though they sometimes gave too little information or background on the major subjects of Marc Spector and Khonshu, it is almost certain that the events of Episode 4 and what it teases is coming will blow that whole issue wide open. We end in such an introspective place where the pieces of Marc’s life and mind are literally just scattered around him. It could be a perfect opportunity to journey into his mind and past.

    As mentioned, the twist looks a whole lot like the Lemire-Smallwood run. That might mean the last two episodes of Moon Knight borrowed heavily from it. But even if the series does attempt a direct adaptation of the comic—which it almost certainly will not—it is not reasonable to fit that into two episodes. Even if the series seeks to merge elements of the Lemire-Smallwood story with the very original plot from the series so far, it still seems unlikely that two episodes is enough time. Overall, it is hard to picture how a twist of this magnitude could lead to a comprehensive and satisfying ending so quickly. Moon Knight could be another victim of the MCU Disney+ series curse of not quite sticking the landing. Or, it could keep surprising us like it has been. 

    In any event, Episode 4 might have just been the biggest “twist” of the entire MCU. Obviously some fans of the Moon Knight comics might feel less lost than those unfamiliar with them, but nearly the entirety of the first four episodes of Moon Knight were a far cry from how it looks like the series might try to tell the story from here on out. The jarring transitions between the two was one of the most enjoyably “What the f***?!” moments in MCU memory. It means that the series has to take the character’s psychological origins and backgrounds seriously story-wise and that requires going to places that other projects are usually uncomfortable with. There is certainly something wildly unnerving about what just happened in this episode. It is not unreasonably optimistic to think that the final two episodes of the series will make Moon Knight one of the most triumphant MCU installments. 

  • ‘Moon Knight’ From Page to Screen: Episode 3

    ‘Moon Knight’ From Page to Screen: Episode 3

    Moon Knight continues to be a fresh combination of the character’s comic book history with a dash of original interpretation. Last week, we compared the live-action series version of Mr. Knight with the comics’. But for Episode 1, we took advantage of the lack of direct adaptation to explore the history of Marc Spector’s dissociative identity disorder in the comics. Like with that first episode, Episode 3 opens the door to dig deeper into what is only hinted at in Moon Knight.

    At the beginning of the episode, as Layla was getting her fake passport, we learn that her father was an archaeologist who was killed during an excavation in the desert. As Moon Knight clearly spends most of its time focused on Steven Grant and Marc Spector, it’s unclear how far back into Layla’s history the series will go. But the little we got is incredibly similar to the comics, and it also connects to Moon Knight’s origin. So, looking into what Episode 3 is referencing might give us a deeper understanding of Layla, Marc Spector, and Moon Knight.

    Moon Knight #1 (1980)
    Moon Knight #1 (1980)
    Moon Knight #1 (1980)

    Back in the day, when Marc Spector was still a mercenary, he worked for a man named Raoul Bushman, or the Bushman. He would become Moon Knight’s clear archenemy, but that is for another time. Bushman and Marc’s unit went on a raid of a newly discovered tomb in Sudan. Archaeologist Dr. Peter Alraune and his team—including his daughter Marlene—were the ones who discovered the tomb and were working at the site at the time of the raid.

    Moon Knight #13 (2017)
    Moon Knight #13 (2017)
    Moon Knight #13 (2017)

    While slightly varying versions of the events that took place to appear over the more than 40 years of Moon Knight comics, the traditional story finds Bushman murdering Dr. Alraune, and others, in front of Marlene. At this moment, Marc seems to have a moral crisis and is strongly opposed to Bushman’s murderous ways. Marc saves Marlene, who hates Marc at first, but is mortally wounded.

    Moon Knight #1 (1980)
    Moon Knight #14 (2017)
    Moon Knight #14 (2017)

    The next bit is, of course, at the core of all Moon Knight stories. In Moon Knight #1 (1980), Marlene brings Marc inside the tomb where he dies underneath a statute of Khonshu only to come back to life claiming to be the Fist of that same god. In Moon Knight (2016), Marc crawls into the tomb on his own without Marlene. After this, Marlene for some reason falls for Marc (and Steven, Jake, and Moon Knight) and they move in together in a Long Island mansion. Marlene supports Moon Knight’s vigilantism and they more or less (less) live happily ever after. In any event, the murder of Marlene’s father was always the connection between her and Marc.

    Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 3

    In Moon Knight, Layla is essentially a much-improved Marlene. So, the brief mention of Layla’s archaeologist father in Episode 3 is interesting for a few reasons. First, it could imply that Layla has a virtually identical backstory to Marlene’s in terms of the death of her father and connection to Marc Spector. However, Layla says that her father’s death was “lost to the sands”, implying that she does not know what happened. If that is the case, it begs the question of how she met Marc and whether she knows about his involvement with Bushman and the raid.

    Moon Knight #4 (2016)

    Whatever the case ends up being, it is fun to speculate elements of Moon Knight when the series makes clear references to the character’s or supporting characters’ comic book history. Layla’s father and his death may very likely play a significant role either in her relationship with Marc or in exploring the origin of Moon Knight in the series.

    The first three episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

  • Exploring Jake Lockley’s Potential Suit in ‘Moon Knight’

    Exploring Jake Lockley’s Potential Suit in ‘Moon Knight’

    As with any MCU adaptation, Moon Knight has not been a perfect match with the comics. This is, of course, not automatically a bad thing. When bringing the complicated subject matter to life, it’s often necessary to simplify a few elements for the sake of flow and time. One such example of this would be Moon Knight’s many alters. Typically, the character has at least three personalities living in his body at any given moment. Marc Spector and Steven Grant, who is currently learning to co-exist in the series, are usually accompanied by a third alter named Jake Lockley.

    Though he hasn’t made his debut on Disney+ just yet, there have been plenty of hints that he could be on the way. If, or when, Lockley finally pops up on the screen, there will be quite a few lingering questions for him to answer. Viewers will likely wonder where he’s been all this time, what sort of life he leads, and whether or not he’s the one who mysteriously killed all those guys in Egypt. Most importantly, however, is a quandary that many may not even think to ponder. Assuming Lockley is able to summon the power of Khonshu in the same vein as Grant and Spector, what might his version of the iconic suit look like?

    Moon Knight surprised longtime fans of the comics when its early marketing revealed that Mr. Knight would play a role in the show. The character is a newer alter in the books, having made his first appearance in 2014 as a variation of the Moon Knight identity who is a little less brutish and a little more sociable. Marvel Studios’ take on the character differs from this, instead of presenting the ‘Mr. Knight” appearance is a version of Khonshu’s Moon Knight armor tailored to fit Steven Grant’s personality. The white, three-piece suit has most of the same abilities as the classic outfit worn by Marc Spector, albeit with different weapons, and its presence is simply used to signify when Steven is the one in control.

    So, the standard being set is that each one of the alters would ostensibly have its own Moon Knight design. Marc wears the classic, hooded vigilante suit and Steven dons the formal “Mr. Knight” attire. The outfits match their personalities, which might actually help in deducing what Jake’s official anti-hero look could be when the time comes. Moon Knight has been featured wearing a shockingly diverse set of threads over the course of his existence, so there are quite a bit of pre-existing designs the show has the ability to pull from. Yet, the first of the options presented in this article has never actually been drawn in the comics at all. Let’s dig in.

    Jacke Lockley, Private Eye

    It’s possible Jake Lockley has been under our noses the whole time. Early in the advertising process for Moon Knight, Marvel fans were shown three character posters featuring star Oscar Isaac. At first glance, they appeared to give the first glimpse of Marc Spector and his two superhero suits all in one place. However, now that audiences know Mr. Knight is actually Steven Grant and Moon Knight is Spector, the trio of images takes on a whole new meaning. What if Marvel actually gave the world its first look at all three avatars of Khonshu, and everyone simply failed to notice?

    Jake Lockley has always been portrayed as the “man on the street” in the dynamic between alters. Where Spector is the skilled fighter and mercenary, while Grant is the intelligent one, Lockley is the private eye with his nose to the ground and street smarts up the wazoo. The series seems to be embracing the idea that Lockley is a violent, no-nonsense alter, emerging primarily when his specific skill set is needed and nothing much more. A flashy suit wouldn’t exactly help in extracting information with a low profile, so it tracks that Lockley’s preferred outfit would be something a little more unassuming and “street-level”, like the white hoodie and jacket in the poster above. Recent episodes of Moon Knight have had Marc and Steven wearing a remarkably similar outfits. So, this theory could already be shot. Though maybe the clothes were something picked by Jake off-screen, and he’s somewhere inside that psyche ready to pop the hood and get to work.

    The Fist of Khonshu

    This next theory is essentially the exact opposite of the last one. If Jake does in fact choose to wear some actual armor, there is one other iconic Moon Knight look that still needs to be covered in live-action. The character is famous for wearing all-white, but many of his suits throughout history have actually been predominantly black with white highlights. Even Moon Knight’s first-ever appearance had him wearing a darker color scheme than fans are accustomed to seeing, and it’s a look that’s made several notable comebacks in the decades since he was introduced. If the costumes worn by the alters in the show are meant to reflect their personalities, then what better way to display the darker nature of Jake Lockley than a suit that’s more black than white?

    A version of the black suit was also used heavily in Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood‘s famous run on the character, which the show draws from heavily. It would be fairly cool to see all three looks from that stretch of the character’s history used in the same adaptation. Also, if Lockley plans on utilizing Khonshu’s armor when brutalizing his foes, his more “down-to-Earth” persona might come up with a suit that’s more tech-based in design than the supernatural wrappings of Marc Spector or the pretentious leisure-wear of Steven Grant.

    Earth X

    Now that The Punisher is on Disney+, maybe Marvel will stun us all and turn Jake Lockley’s Moon Knight into their next most efficient killer. A good way to do this would be to use a variation of the Earth X universe attire, which already resembles the MCU’s base suit for the character. The main thing separating this design from the original Marc Spector persona is a pair of semi-automatic Uzi pistols that this universe’s Moon Knight prefers to use over traditional Egyptian weaponry. Outfitting Lockley’s Khonshu avatar with heavy firepower may potentially feel out of place, but it would be in line with the alters trademark violence and do wonders to set him apart from Spector and Grant.

    Ultimate

    This one might be a long shot, but it’s still fun speculation. The Ultimate Moon Knight design has a little bit of everything, including the aforementioned concept of mixing black with white. It sort of comes off as a fun cross between Marc’s Moon Knight and Steven’s Mr. Knight, although it may be a bit too extravagant for the Jake Lockley alter to double down on. It’s mostly included here for two reasons: Marvel Studios has a long history of using the Ultimate comics as inspiration, and the Ultimate version of Moon Knight has an alarmingly aggressive personality that feels right at home with everything analyzed thus far. For example, he once threatened to cut Spider-Man’s throat out and really meant it. Yikes.

    In the end, it’s important to remember this is all just fun speculation. Though his arrival feels imminent, Jake Lockley has yet to be confirmed by anyone involved with Moon Knight and may not end up being part of the project at all. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean fans can’t have a little fun playing guessing games with the future. If he does indeed make the cut, one can only hope he looks as good as his two bodily brothers.

  • Layla is ‘Moon Knight’s’ Best Upgrade From the Comics

    Layla is ‘Moon Knight’s’ Best Upgrade From the Comics

    In Moon Knight, so far, much of Moon Knight’s classic ensemble has been reduced to teases or cameos at best. Jean-Paul “Frenchie” Duchamp was a name in Marc Spector’s phone in Episode 1, and Bertrand Crawley has been making silent appearances as a human statue. Marc’s third identity from the comics, Jake Lockley, has not made an appearance or been referenced. A lot of classic elements from the Moon Knight comics are missing from Moon Knight.

    One of the most significant characters in Moon Knight comics, other than Marc Spector and his alters, is Marlene Alarune. Marlene is Marc’s (and Steven’s) (and Jake’s) constant on-again-off-again romantic interest. She has been consistently present since Moon Knight #1 in 1980. While over 40 years of history saw plenty of changes to the character, overall, Marlene is not a great character. Moon Knight, though, apparently recognized the significance of her character and the ability for a love interest of Moon Knight to highlight Marc Spector’s dissociative identity disorder—we now have May Calamawy’s Layla El-Faouly. And Layla is great.

    Marlene and Layla have different names, but their roles and pasts suggest that Layla is more or less a majorly upgraded Marlene. Obviously, both are love interests to Marc Spector. In the comics, Marlene was aware of Marc’s three identities and Moon Knight from the beginning. She generally dealt with it well, but at other times throughout her comics history, Marc’s DID was, reasonably, a source of frustration to say the least. Still, she has had relationships specifically with Marc, Steven, and Jake over time. More recently, she and Marc share a daughter named Diatrice, who was fathered by Jake, and Marc never knew for years. In Moon Knight, Layla is introduced as Marc’s soon-to-be ex-wife who was not aware of any identity other than Marc and Moon Knight. Marlene and Marc never married in the comics, but they often also had a rocky relationship.

    Moon Knight
    Moon Knight

    Marlene met Marc almost at the same time that Marc became Moon Knight. Marlene is the daughter of an archaeologist who was killed by Bushman when the villain and his crew (including mercenary Marc Spector) raided the tomb Marlene’s father had discovered. After Bushman killed the archaeologist, Marc apparently had a moment of moral reckoning and turned against Bushman, saving Marlene and getting himself killed then revived by Khonshu in the process. We do not know much about Layla’s past in Moon Knight, but we learned in Episode 3 that her father was an archaeologist and was killed at some point. That is incredibly unlikely to be a coincidence, but whether Layla otherwise has the same general backstory as Marlene is yet to be seen. 

    Marlene, it feels like, is a constant damsel in distress in the comics. She generally feels extremely superficial and it is just a given that Marc cares about her. There are times when she is non-stop jealous or angry for every action Marc takes, there are times she is at home waiting for Moon Knight when he gets back, there are times when they have broken up and he longs for her, and there are (again) many times where her being in trouble is half the plot or motivation of an issue. She has her moments, but Marlene just feels like an outdated trope that never quite evolved.

    Layla, on the other hand, is certainly not a damsel in distress. She seems to know how to handle herself in a violent situation, sure. But she also arguably is the person leading the current plot in Moon Knight—without her knowledge and help, it is not clear how great at tracking down Ammut’s tomb Marc and Steven would be. Her knowledge of Ancient Egyptian artifacts and mythology is rivaled only by Steven, and she has connections in Egypt that seems to be able to get them anywhere. Layla seems weirdly OK with the DID thing Marc never told her about after getting to know Steven a little bit, but also is reasonably angry at Marc for several things. Of course, she mentioned early on that Marc and her fought side by side for the Scarab, only reaffirming that she can, at the very least, hold her own next to an ex-mercenary, Egyptian god avatar.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’

    The only thing “damsel in distress” about Layla is perhaps the fact that Marc is trying to protect her from Khonshu. It does not seem like Layla even knows that Khonshu is interested in her as his next avatar. And to be fair, if Khonshu is interested in her as is next fist of vengeance, that says a lot about what she is capable of. There is also something to be said for the fact that Calamawy and Layla are Egyptian. While the role was not necessarily written for an Egyptian actress, the fact that the character can connect to that aspect of Moon Knight is valuable considering there are no other major Egyptian presences in front of the camera.

    The first three episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

  • Marvel Emmy Submission Casts Doubt on ‘Hawkeye’ and ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 

    Marvel Emmy Submission Casts Doubt on ‘Hawkeye’ and ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 

    Marvel fans have been eager to learn what the future might hold for Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, and a recent development has revealed it may not include a second season of Hawkeye. The studio is hard at work campaigning for its slate of Disney+ shows for the next awards season, with series like Loki, Moon Knight, and the aforementioned Hawkeye all up for nominations. What’s interesting is that while Loki, which has a confirmed second season on the way, was submitted in the “Drama” category, both Hawkeye and Moon Knight were only entered into the “Limited Series” field. This has added fuel to the fire of speculation that neither show will receive a second season, an honor that has thus far only been bestowed upon Loki and Marvel’s animated What If…?.

    Actor Oscar Isaac recently caused a stir when he revealed he was not signed up for any further appearances as Marc Spector after the completion of Moon Knight. Similarly, the lack of any sort of progress on another installment of Hawkeye has caused concern that the show might have been a one-and-done. Obviously, even if standard second seasons never occur, the Marvel formula would likely still allow for the protagonists’ stories to continue in other projects and spin-offs, like the upcoming Hawkeye by-product Echo.

    Of course, this doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of continuations for the programs. Marvel apparently attempted to submit Loki as a “Limited Series” before the second season announcement forced the studio to place it elsewhere. The remaining choices for Marvel Studios were to categorize the Tom Hiddleston series as either “Drama” or “Comedy,” with the former being a less competitive field. It’s still entirely feasible that Hawkeye and Moon Knight eventually get their episodic sequels, this news just seems to imply that Marvel Studios has no plans for second seasons in the near future. 

    Source: Variety

  • Paul Bettany Responds to ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Rumors

    Paul Bettany Responds to ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Rumors

    Actor Paul Bettany has been around as long as the Marvel Cinematic Universe has existed. Initially the voice of Tony Stark’s A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S, Bettany debuted as Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Most recently, we saw Bettany’s Vision in WandaVision, and the action ended the series as White Vision and he flew off to an unknown location.

    With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness quickly approaching, fans wants answers now more than ever on who exactly will make surprise appearances in the film. With Vision’s connection to Wanda—who will play a major role as the Scarlet Witch in the film—it is natural that some wonder if some version of Vision, perhaps White Vision, will show up. In an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, host Steven Colbert asked Bettany directly whether White Vision would appear in the Doctor Strange sequel. The actor responded:

    This is a really great question. And, again, I said I was going to be entirely honest with you. You’re asking if… ‘Am I in Doctor Strange?’… Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no. I don’t know. Am I? What do you think?… I can neither confirm nor deny rumors that I am in said and aforementioned Doctor Strange.

    Paul Bettany

    It is only expected that MCU actors play coy about potential or rumored future appearances in Marvel Studios projects. Bettany may simply be teasing fans and taking advantage of all the surprise cameo fervor that has been going around for Multiverse of Madness. Still, plenty will read into the fact that he does say “yes” at some points in his answer, even if it is always followed by “no.”

    Audiences will find out if Bettany or White Vision makes an appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness when the film is released on May 6, 2022.

    Source: YouTube

  • Sandra Bullock Tells Marvel to Cast Daniel Radcliffe as Wolverine

    Sandra Bullock Tells Marvel to Cast Daniel Radcliffe as Wolverine

    When it comes to Wolverine, it often feels like many actors have been rumored to take on the iconic character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One actor that is commonly mentioned, however, is none other than Harry Potter actor, Daniel Radcliffe. In the past, Radcliffe has suggested he’s never heard the rumors regarding him being in contention for the role. Still, the actor didn’t seem against the rumors. “I don’t see myself, I don’t see them going from Hugh Jackman to me. But who knows? Prove me wrong, Marvel.”

    Now, his The Lost City co-star Sandra Bullock is ready for Marvel to cast him in the role. In a recent interview with It’s Gone Viral to promote The Lost City, the duo talked about Radcliffe’s long-rumored past with the role. As Radcliffe explains he’s been dealing with the rumors for quite a few years now. “Mate, that’s been happening to me semi-annually for the last three years.”

    This led to Bullock asking why he simply didn’t just take on the role of Wolverine. Per the actor, however, he still hasn’t been approached by Marvel Studios or anyone associated with the studio regarding any Wolverine casting. Bullock then threw her support behind Radcliffe getting the role, urging Marvel to get on it already. “Wolverine people, can you please just f***ing cast him. Just do it. Stop tiptoeing around and having people ask at press junkets. Just cast the man.”

    As it stands, it is unknown when Wolverine will finally appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, until someone is cast, it seems likely Radcliffe will have to endure the Wolverine rumors for a bit longer.

    Source: It’s Gone Viral.

  • ‘Moon Knight’: The Midnight Man Cameo Explained

    ‘Moon Knight’: The Midnight Man Cameo Explained

    Moon Knight has been carving out its own story without relying on its comic book history to create a world to explore. Because of that, many classic characters from Moon Knight comics are either not present in the series or take the form of smaller cameos. Episode 3 just revealed another example of a classic Moon Knight character appearing in a subtle way. As with others, it may simply be a nod to the comics, but it might also tease the character’s return in the future.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 3

    Episode 3 introduces us to the late Gaspard Ulliel‘s Anton Mogart. Better known as the villain Midnight Man, Mogart in the comics was originally a rather corny costumed art and jewel thief who always struck at midnight. Very early on in Moon Knight lore, Mogart was seemingly killed, but actually survived but with a melted and deformed face. He returns, having been driven insane, to work with Moon Knight’s greatest villain Bushman. While he eventually dies many years later, his son Jeff Wilde (calling himself Midnight) becomes Moon Knight’s sidekick for a brief time before also becoming a villain.

    Moon Knight

    In Moon Knight, there is no mention of “Midnight Man,” but Anton Mogart is a significant figure in the episode. He is a very wealthy and connected man with an elaborate collection of black market artifacts, such as Senfu’s sarcophagus that Marc and Layla came to see. Layla notes that he keeps these things where only he can see them—in the comics, Mogart stole precious items just to own them rather than for the money. We last see Ulliel’s Mogart get hit by one of Moon Knight’s crescents. Whether that was fatal to the villain is ambiguous. There is certainly room for Mogart to return in Moon Knight or in future projects.

    The first three episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Confirms the Existence of the “Overvoid” Heliopolis

    ‘Moon Knight’ Confirms the Existence of the “Overvoid” Heliopolis

    Moon Knight seems to be doing a lot of things: an exploration of mental health, dense Ancient Egyptian mythology, and a classic superhero-needing villain. While Moon Knight is notably relatively disconnected from the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe, it might be building another corner of it. While Episode 3 confirms Khonshu’s home realm, there is a twist.

    Episode 3 of the series confirmed that the realm known as the Overvoid. Also known as the Othervoid or Celestial Heliopolis, the Overvoid is the home dimension of beings known as the Ancient Egyptian gods. While in the Pyramid of Giza, Khonshu speaks through Marc Spector to the other avatars and their gods and tells them to return to Earth from the Overvoid or risk losing Earth.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 3

    This is significant in a few ways. First, the actual existence of the Overvoid expands on the MCU cosmos. The Overvoid is an Asgard-like realm. Its appearance as a large city built on a tiny planet is similar to Asgard’s. Its passage to Earth is a golden bridge through space, called the Path of the Gods, which is similar to the Asgardians’ Bifrost. The world of space gods that came to be revered by humans is expanding—with Norse gods and now Ancient Egyptian gods, beings like the Olympians could come later.

    Moon Knight
    Thor #300

    More interesting for the potential events of Moon Knight, though, is the fact that Khonshu’s statement seems to imply that the gods can come and go willingly from the Overvoid. In the comics, that is just generally not true. In fact, the reason the gods use humans as avatars is specifically because they cannot have a physical presence on Earth. So usually, they are somewhat stuck in the Overvoid, but that may not be the case in Moon Knight. Considering Arthur Harrow is seeking out Ammit, this could have huge implications for the series.

    The first three episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 3 Just Gave Us the Strongest Evidence of Jake Lockley Yet

    ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 3 Just Gave Us the Strongest Evidence of Jake Lockley Yet

    Throughout the past few weeks, more and more evidence in Moon Knight is pointing towards a potential introduction of a third personality alongside Marc Spector and Steven Grant. If the series does introduce another alter, chances are it will be Jake Lockley, who is the third classic Moon Knight identity from the comics. We have previously explored what looked like clues in Moon Knight Episode 1 and Episode 2. Even without Oscar Isaac’s own suggestion that Marc and Steven are not the only two characters he plays in the series, Episode 3 leaves very little room to doubt that there is another personality waiting to make their appearance. 

    The Blackout

    If anything in Moon Knight has virtually confirmed that Jake Lockley exists, it is the scene in Episode 3 where Marc and Steven both blackout while fighting a group of people. Previously, we saw Steven blackout when (presumably) Marc took control of the body, but we have never before been presented with a situation where we know neither of them could have been in control. During the fight, Marc and Steven blackout and reawaken to quite the massacre–they violently killed everyone they had been fighting. They both claim they were not responsible, which means someone else was. Considering in the comics Jake is often the most violent, brutal, and remorseless personality, it makes all too much sense that Jake could have taken over to do what had to be done to get them out of that situation.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 3

    “That Wasn’t Me”

    While Marc Spector has certainly been portrayed as much more violent than Steven Grant, his actions do not align with the type of violence suggested by the blackout mentioned above. He has his moments, sure, like when Steven seemingly stops Marc before Marc slashes someone’s throat. But even in this episode, there are numerous times he specifically holds back while fighting. Another exciting tidbit for Jake Lockley searchers comes before the main blackout, where Marc encounters a group he had previously fought on the roof (and ultimately pretty brutally kicked the s*** out of).

    He wants to talk to them for information, but they try to run because they are scared of him after the fight. He yells at them, “That wasn’t me!” Well, if Marc is trying to say whatever added violence came over him during the rooftop fight was not him, who was it? We know it was not Steven. There was not a blackout on the roof, but this goes along with previous clues that perhaps Jake takes over when it appears Marc loses his emotional/anger control and gets hyper-violent as he did briefly in the last episode. 

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 3
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 3

    Arthur Harrow Definitely Seems to Know There are More Personalities

    We do not know with certainty how much Arthur Harrow knows about our protagonists. But it seems to be much more than he shows on the surface. There is very little doubt that when he used his Ammit cane to try and judge Steven in Episode 1, he learned a lot about (at least) Steven and Marc. Episode 3 confirms that he learned at least some of Marc’s past–perhaps his memories–from this. Harrow tells Layla that he knows her father was murdered and that Marc is not telling her the truth about it. From what we have seen, there is no other way Harrow could know about Marc’s involvement in something like that unless the cane process showed him.

    So why is this interesting? If he saw Marc by reading Steven, he could have seen other personalities that existed. While telling the court of avatars that Marc is unwell, he notes: “We have no idea how many personalities he might have.” This is reminiscent of the last episode as well, where he makes a similar comment that can be read as Harrow having knowledge of other personalities of Marc and Steven. If he had no reason to believe there were more than the two, it seems unlikely he would keep referencing more than the two he has met. Plus, it could be another subtle nod from the writers that more personalities are possible. 

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 3

    The first three episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.