The search for Marc Spector’s third classic comics personality Jake Lockley continues through Moon Knight‘swild fourth episode. Clues and evidence in Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3 honestly feel like enough of a confirmation that a third personality is coming. But we still have yet to be formally introduced. There may be fewer clues in Episode 4, but one in particular almost cannot be interpreted in any other way than… that’s Jake. While everyone knows that nothing is confirmed until it is confirmed, let’s take a look at perhaps the most unambiguous and in-your-face clue of the entire series.
The Extra Sarcophagus
When Marc wakes up in some sort of mental institution or psych ward-looking place, he eventually escapes the room where the now Dr. Arthur Harrow appeared to be his psychologist. On his run through the halls of the institution, he comes upon a room with a lone sarcophagus. Someone inside was screaming for help and shaking it, trying to get out. Turns out Steven was trapped in there, and he and Marc hug when they reunite–it’s very sweet.
Flash forward about one minute, and they pass a room that has a very similar sarcophagus. They do not seem to notice it, but it is also moving as if someone was trapped inside. Considering Marc and Steven now both have bodies, it is easy to say that whatever place this institution is, it is not “real.” So, if Marc’s other personality Steven sort of manifested as being trapped in a sarcophagus in a room here, what other conclusion is there to draw from the fact that there was another? It is the least ambiguous hint Moon Knight has provided and the most psychologically symbolic as well that a third personality does in fact exist in this series.
While Moon Knight arguably “confirms” here that Marc and Steven are not the only personalities, it still is yet to be seen whether a third will actually make an appearance in the series. Hopefully Jake has some grand entrance, but it could be the series’ way of acknowledging the comics’ history and being coy with it, while maybe waiting to introduce Jake in another project considering Moon Knight already has many demanding moving parts to balance. Still, there have been so many hints over these four episodes, that it would definitely feel like a letdown if they did not lead to an actual appearance by the end of the series.
Only time will tell. But the first four episodes of Moon Knight are not streaming on Disney+.
The final few minutes of Moon Knight’s episode four gave audiences something to think about and figure out ahead of the final two episodes of the series. At first glance, it seems like the old “it was all a dream” sort of twist, where the character, in this case, Marc Spector, kept bringing real-life characters and details into a self-fabricated world. This would obviously deprive the events experienced until now of most of their meaning due to a lack of actual real-world impact, something that feels extremely dated. But in fact, Marvel should instead be using that classic trope to lead fans astray as what Marc wakes up to should actually be the dream itself.
Following Harrow shooting Marc at Alexander the Great’s tomb, he wakes up in an institution, very similar to the one we see in the Lemire-Smallwood comic run. There, while trying to escape Harrow’s office, he comes to a long corridor that seems to tilt like it was on a moving vehicle, with the lamps and the medical carts moving accordingly. This should be enough to make us doubt the veracity of the reality presented to us. But it’s not until going back to some promotional footage that, not only does it become clear why the halls seem unstable but we also understand where Marc really is.
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight
This shot in one of the promotional videos seemingly shows us a large funerary boat traveling through the desert. And this is where we will likely find Marc, even if all he sees around him, maybe as a coping mechanism, is a mental institution filled with details from his life. This fits the Egyptian mythology the show has been exploring as boats played a big role in ancient Egyptian funerary practices. Funerary boats were often used to deliver the deceased to the afterlife, with Anubis, the god of death, the afterlife, cemeteries, tombs, and the Underworld, having his own ship that traveled between the world of the living and that of the dead. It was while doing so that it would weigh the hearts of the deceased on Maat’s scales of truth and justice, hence judging the individual’s actions in life. If the heart was found to be heavy it was fed to Ammit, with the soul cast into darkness. On the other hand, if the scales were balanced, the deceased would be taken before Osiris who would welcome them into the afterlife.
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight
All of this, besides feeling terribly consistent with what the show has shown us so far, might clearly hint at all past events being what is real, with the dreamlike state being what we see as the mental institution at the end of episode four. Marc and Steven (and Jake?) will eventually be judged in order for their spirit to move on, either to damnation or the afterlife. With Khonshu out of the picture, it seems unlikely that they will manage to come back from the dead, again. Or does it?
The first four episodes of Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight are now streaming only on Disney+.
Episode 4 of Moon Knight has been amped up for quite some time and as it finally found its way online, the Internet is currently wrapping its head around what exactly just happened. Of course, it didn’t take long for questions to arise and luckily Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, the directing duo behind that very episode, talked about how they approached the twist ending and how Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood‘s run with the character influenced their direction.
There will be spoilers ahead, so only continue at your own risk if you haven’t seen the episode yet.
As the episode was slowly coming to an end, we suddenly see Marc Spector get shot by Arthur Harrow. As he is falling down what seems like a bottomless water spot inside the grave of Alexander the Great. Yet, it suddenly turns into an old-fashioned, Indiana Jones-inspired TV show before revealing that Marc was in a facility all along. We see many familiar faces and objects that hint that maybe not everything we saw was real. this sequence is strongly inspired by a famous run from Lemire and Smallwood, which the directors highlight in their interview with EW.
The end of episode 4 is actually a gift of the script. It came from wanting to do the least expected thing and completely disorient the audience, while also being completely true to the character that we’ve built over four episodes. Also the comic book character: There’s a run of ‘Moon Knight’ written by Jeff Lemire, and [Greg] Smallwood did the art, and it has a lot of similar feelings and visuals to what happens at the end of episode 4. So we’re really glad to be able to honor the original comics, the ones that we were the most drawn to when we were trying to crack Moon Knight. That’s where the inspiration came from, especially visually and tonally
Aaron Moorhead
Benson highlights that they also took inspiration from some of the iconic panels from that run as they explore his escape from this mental health institute.
Also, connecting it back to the Lemire run, there are so many iconic single panels within that run. But there’s one sequence in particular where our hero has been trying to escape from a mental health facility. He finally gets out. He jumps out, but it turns out he was on an airplane, and he’s free-falling. Obviously that doesn’t happen in this show, but we really feel like what we did captures the spirit of that distilled image into something that is not literally that but has the same feeling.
Justin Benson
In the same interview, they highlight that the next two episodes will be even more promising and we’ll get a lot more moving forward. It’s an exciting twist and takes the series into a really interesting direction that may not mesh well with many at first that got used to the adventure vibe it was building up so far. For now, we’ll have to wait just two more weeks to see the series fully come together.
If you happened to see reactions from critics and members of the press who were able to see the first four episodes of Moon Knight, you undoubtedly saw a lot of people praising and hyping up the fourth episode. Now that you’ve watched it, you now know why. Here, we break down what happened and look into clues from the source material as to what this might all mean for the series.
We will spoiler details from the fourth episode. So, if you haven’t watched it yet only continue at your own risk.
Recap
After Moon Knight spends the vast majority of four episodes building up a now-relatively grounded story involving adventuring through Ancient Egyptian lore, artifacts, pyramids, tombs, and whatever else the franchise can get its hands on. Of course, Arthur Harrow appeared the be the main villain in his quest to serve/free Ammit to judge souls based on future wrongdoing. At the same time, our protagnosists are attempting to save the world from Harrow as the avatar of Ancient Egyptian lunar god Khonshu, which allowed them to summon divinely-granted suits—they still have not actually been named yet, but we know them as Moon Knight and Mr. Knight.
Most importantly, perhaps, is that our original protagonist, Steven Grant, learned he had another identity/personality named Marc Spector. The Marc reveal brought Steven into this fast-paced and dangerous plot as Marc was the one in contact with Khonshu and served as his Fist of Vengeance. The psychological implications of Steven and Marc’s dissociative identity disorder have been a loud-and-clear focus of Moon Knight so far. And it looks like it may very well increase the focus after Episode 4.
In this episode, Steven and Layla find the tomb of Alexander the Great. With it, they also have finally uncovered Ammit’s stone statue, which is similar to that we saw Khonshu get imprisoned in. Harrow swiftly catches up, and ultimately shoots Marc (who took control at this point) and seemingly kills him. We watch Marc float down through dark waters almost endlessly.
Suddenly, we cut to what looks like a direct-to-VHS movie where a young boy and an impressive adventurer and archaeologst by the name of Dr. Steven Grant are looking for atrifacts related to an Aztec lunar god. Marc then wakes up in what looks like a psych ward or mental institution with many callbacks and familiar faces. For example, random objects from early episodes (like cupcakes and a goldfish) appear in this place. Characters like Layla, Crawley, and Donna are also patients in the institution. And, of course, Dr. Arthur Harrow is Marc’s psychologist. There are numerous other Easter eggs involved, but the point is clear: did Marc simply imagine the “reality” we previously saw?
What Just Happened?
If you’re fresh off of Moon Knight Episode 4, the title question might be stuck in your mind. You are supposed to be confused, excited, and anxious to find out what comes next. If you enjoy the surprise and the mystery, this is good news for you, and you might want to avoid reading this whole article if you want to stay as unspoiled as possible. If you hate feeling confused, there is also good news for you if you keep reading this article.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’
So, let’s get into it. This is the point of Moon Knight where the viewer is now supposed to question absolutely everything. Obviously, the fact that Marc wakes up in a psych ward does much of that work, but how the last ten minutes or so of Episode 4 progress makes it even more complicated. It is clear from the later scenes after Marc wakes up that he is not simply in a typical psych ward having completely made everything up. Plenty of things are not quite right, but of course, he encounters Steven trapped in a sarcophagus, and the two personalities exist in separate bodies in the same place. If that isn’t enough to debunk much of the psych ward “reality”, the two come across goddess Taweret, a hippo-appearing being, who we saw as a stuffed animal in Episode 1’s gift shop.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’
Just in case it was not clear before—yes, you should be confused. Moon Knight has now gone out of its way to essentially discredit every “reality” it has presented audiences with. The “main reality” where we first met Steven—was everything one giant delusion of a mentally ill man based on some of his surroundings in the psych ward? If it was not entirely in Marc’s imagination, was some of it, such as Khonshu, real? We are now suddenly introduced to this “psych ward reality”—is it real? Probably not, but are the images of Steven and Taweret, for example, more delusions?
If you are dying for answers or at least some guidance, the solution may lie in the Moon Knight comics run you may have already heard a lot about. While looking at the source material for Moon Knight is certainly not “spoilers”, if the series adopts more of the comics’ plot lines, that could potentially ruin some surprises for the last two Moon Knight episodes. With that word of caution of the way, let’s look at what possibilities the Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood run coult hint at for the home stretch of the live-action series.
Lemire-Smallwood’s Inspirational Run
Moon Knight (2016) is one of the most popular comic runs of the Fist of Khonshu, but it also clearly inspired the creators of the Disney+ series plenty. After more than three decades of Moon Knight stories, Marc Spector wakes up in an insane asylum and gives evidence that he had been there since he was twelve. As such, all aspects of his Moon Knight life had been in his head. The comic run by Lemire and Smallwood jumps from perceived reality to perceived reality. We see versions of Marc Spector, Steven Grant, and Jake Lockley living their own lives, but the story jumps around in a way where each one questions their memories and realities. Like where Moon Knight seems to be going, the comics are entirely founded on the concept that Marc Spector’s mind (inlcuding his other identities) is complex, confusing, and potentially a rabbit hole of reality-beding.
This article is not the place to try and summarize the entire run or give every possible detail that connects the live-action series to that run, but it’s worth noting what Moon Knight has already clearly borrowed from. In both, Marc Spector wakes up and realizes he is in an all-white psych ward with some of his friends as other patients. His psychologist in the comics is Dr. Emmet, whereas in live-action it is Dr. Arthur Harrow. Still, Dr. Emmet is “revealed” to be a manifestation of Ammit, who we know Arthur Harrow is a follower of. Even the pair of orderlies, Bobby and Billy, made their way into Moon Knight. The appearance of Taweret at the end of Episode 4 also looks a lot like some of the Ancient Egyptian imagery that the Moon Knight comics highlight. Even more, Marc and his personalities were able to co-exist in different bodies in the comics.
Speaking of Ancient Egyptian lore connecting to the mental institution, much of the run presents Marc with a situation where the psych ward reality morphs into a version of New York City that appeared to be taken over by the Egyptian god Seth. So, Dr. Emmet would often take the form of Ammit, the orderlies as jackals, Marc makes deals with Anubis, he travels to the Overvoid, and more. At the same time, he would find himself back in the psych ward “reality” and being given electroconvulsive therapy or chastized by Dr. Emmet.
Moon Knight (2016)
The ultimate adversary in the comcis run is actually Khonshu, not Seth. Turns out, much of the mental dismay and reality confusion is Khonshu’s doing, and the moon god is trying to completely break Marc’s mind so that Khonshu can essentially just use his body as his own. So, the run beautifully explores the dimensions of Marc/Steven/Jake’s minds and memories as they try to persevere through Khonshu’s cruel games and defeat the god they have been attached to for so long. The run ends with Marc taking control of his personality and defeating Khonshu, telling the deity that they do not need him to be Moon Knight. While Marc ends in a place where he stil cannot be sure if he is in true reality, he notes it is good enough for him, Steven, and Jake.
Moon Knight (2016)
Where is Moon Knight Going?
Since Moon Knight is clearly taking a lot of inspiration from at least the very beginning of the Lemire-Smallwood run, there is always a chance the series will adapt even more from it. At the same time, Moon Knight has not otherwise been following a story that is clearly inspired by any particular run. That could mean that whilethe previously mentionedone may have some influence, the live-action series will ultimately remain a hybrid of decades of comics and new material. Considering that both the series and the comics want you to question virtually every aspect of reality, it would be naive to assume that Episodes 5 and 6 of Moon Knight will be predictable.
The first four episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.
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.
As is tradition, every new Disney+ show will also come bagged with a new entry in the Assembled series. Disney+’s offering to those that want a look behind the scenes and get a feel for how their new favorite series was made. They also made some for the film was well, which made it the go-to for those wanting to know what exactly is happening over at Marvel Studios. Moon Knight will also get its own episode and it seems that the release will be the week after its finale.
There’s also the potential of getting to know just how Oscar Isaac created his take on DID, especially with how complex they try to showcase it as two personalities are fighting for the same body. Episode 3 included quite the seamless transition from Marc Spector into Steven Grant, which may be something the actor can talk about in the project and how he conducted his research on bringing it to life. Whatever that may be, it’s going to be exciting to see what the latest entry in Assembled has to offer when it releases in May.
Episode 3, “The Friendly Type”, really moved things along in the overall plot, including Arthur using the scarab to lead him to the site of Ammut’s tomb. At the behest of Khonshu, Marc tries to get the Ennead, a group of major Egyptian gods, to intervene with what Arthur is trying to do, but Arthur lies to them, leading the Ennead to warn Khonshu not to interfere further. To find the coordinates of the tomb, Khonshu turns back the sky to the night they locked Ammut away, angering the Ennead. As the episode ends, Khonshu is imprisoned, leaving Marc/Steven without his power.
Marc and Steven get way more comfortable with each other over the course of this episode, even willingly letting each other take over the body when it seems to serve them best. The episode also presents the clearest evidence that there might be a third personality within Marc’s mind. While interrogating a group of men, Marc is knocked out when Steven interferes with the questioning. When he wakes up, he’s in the middle of stabbing one of the men while another lies dead behind him. When Marc asks Steven what he’s done, he claims not to have done it either. In the comics there is another, more violent, personality named Jake. This could totally be his doing!
Arlyn’s Assumptions
In this next episode, I believe that they will end up finding Ammut’s tomb too late. I feel like Arthur will have already found it and dug it up. The other Egyptian gods have locked Khonshu away, which will obviously have a big impact on Marc and Steven seeing that Marc was just a corpse when Khonshu found him. I’m not sure how Marc survives. I have a bad feeling about this…
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+.
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.
Kang the Conqueror is ever-present, and Moon Knight is apparently no exception. So far, the show has been notable for its lack of Easter eggs and references to the greater MCU. Where many Marvel projects have been stuffed with verbal and visual nods to other Marvel projects, Moon Knight has gotten away with a simple Madripoor namedrop and nothing more. At least, that’s what fans thought until a new video from YouTuber Erik Voss seemingly confirmed another major Marvel tease was carefully hidden within the runtime of the series’ latest episode.
During the opening sequence of “The Friendly Type”, mercenary Marc Spector is chasing down a group of thugs with allegiance to the villainous Arthur Harrow. He eventually catches up to them, engages in combat, and attempts to question the young survivor of the scuffle. It doesn’t go as planned, but just before his target meets his end, fans can catch a brief glimpse of an image painted on the back of his jean jacket. The art displays a faceless pharaoh with a familiar headdress, highlighted by an equally familiar teal and purple color scheme.
As explained by Voss, this is a reference to Kang the Conquerer’s time as the pharaoh Rama-Tut. While it may appear to be a coincidence, the Easter egg has supposedly been confirmed as intentional by Moon Knight crew members. This is incredibly interesting, and raises the question as to whether or not Rama-Tut actually existed as a pharaoh in MCU canon. Was the now-deceased young man just having a little fun with his fashion, or was he a fan of Marvel’s most powerful Egyptian ruler? We’ll have to wait to find out.
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