Even approaching its fifteenth year of existence, Marvel Studios is still having firsts. The Marvel Cinematic Universe officially expanded beyond cinemas last year, debuting four live-action streaming shows exclusively on Disney+. While those four shows were led by established MCU heroes, 2022's slate is set to debut a number of characters in their own self-titled series. That begins on March 30 with Oscar Isaac's Moon Knight.
Not only will Moon Knight be the first character to make his MCU debut in his own show, but this series is set to be a full-blown origin story. Spanning six episodes, this first season will showcase Marc Spector's manic spiral into madness as he simultaneously transforms into the vicious crime-fighter known as Moon Knight.
Not much is known about Moon Knight's plot just yet, but its debut trailer gave plenty of indications as to where the series could be heading. Without further ado, here are ten Easter eggs, plot details, and hidden meanings scattered across the first Moon Knight trailer.
Rubik's Cube
The first glimpse of Marc Spector pits the future Midnight Son lying in bed, finagling with a Rubik's Cube.
While this could be just something Spector does to pass time, the multi-colored brick alludes to the complexity of the title character's mind. Rubik's Cubes have appeared as a motif in numerous films, from Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Snowden to Pixar's Wall-E.
In the aforementioned animated picture, EVE uses a Rubik's Cube to help Wall-E recollect old memories. With Spector not being able to "tell the difference between [his] waking life and dreams," Moon Knight may utilize the mind puzzle as a totem of sorts for Spector to distinguish between his multiple states.
Sleep Tight
No one has a bedtime routine quite like Marc Spector.
While others wash their face and brush their teeth, Spector is triple-locking his door and chaining his leg to his bedpost. He also utilizes a sleep-tracking app called "Lying Awake," whose telemarketer-like voice echoes over overlapping narration from Spector's complex mind.
When he does wake up, Spector is noticeably wearing a different shirt than when he was playing with the Rubik's Cube. This could indicate he stumbled into a sleep-walking, crime-fighting adventure and changed clothes before bed, or it's from a different day, which would allude to the fact that this leg-chain situation is a nightly occurrence for Spector.
Line in the Sand
When he awakes, Spector jolts from his bed in a panic. Before the bedpost chain causes him to faceplant, Spector makes a footprint in a crescent of sand meticulously laid around his bed.
Just as hexagons made constant appearances in WandaVision, crescents seem to be a recurring shape within Moon Knight. This particular crescent may be a coincidence, however, as the sand can only form up to a semi-circle around Spector's bed, which lies flush against the wall.
Considering most people don't bring this much of the beach into their homes, Spector is likely utilizing the sand here as an effort to ward off demons. With no other explanation making sense for his multi-polar state, Spector may turn to the supernatural for remedy inspiration.
Day 'n' Nite
The poster track for Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon echoes throughout this trailer. While only a couple of "Day 'n' Nite" lines are heard, the song's full lyrics fairly accurately represent the character of Marc Spector.
Now look at this (what, what)
Madness to magnet keeps attracting me, me (what, what)
I try to run but see I'm not that fast (what, what)
I think I'm first but surely finish last, last
As seen earlier in the trailer, Spector "[tries] to run" but is unable to escape his bed, and as evident by later frames, "madness to magnet" is a precise explanation of his alter egos. He does everything in his power to resist these other personas, but just as magnets pull each other together, Spector may be helplessly shifting into Moon Knight.
He's all alone through the day and night (day and night)
The lonely loner seems to free his mind at night (at, at, at night)
Cudi's second verse is the clearest representation of Spector's complex character. This trailer indicates his crime-fighting transformation takes place at night. In a twisted sense, Spector appears most at peace when he's his cloaked alter ego. That, and taking out his pent-up aggression on those who unfortunately find themselves in his way does "free his mind at night."
Steven Grant?
Just when we think we know the answers, they change the questions.
When Spector arrives to his museum job, he refers to himself as "Steven." While Marc Spector is Moon Knight's primary alter ego, Steven Grant is one of the character's multiple personalities. Moon Knight's depiction of Grant is seemingly different from the comics, as, on the page, Steven Grant is a millionaire financier. Fans have yet to see the live-action version's W2s, but this Steven Grant seems to be balling on a budget.
Later in the trailer, Isaac's Grant gets a call on a Motorola Razr from a woman referring to him as "Marc," which he responds to confused. Most intriguingly, she's shocked that this "Marc" is alive.
In the comics, Marc Spector is a mercenary who ends up left for dead in the desert. Spector gets a new lease on life when he's revived by the moon god Khonshu, who makes a blink-and-miss-it appearance in this trailer. With the official show synopsis revealing both Steven and Marc's enemies will "converge upon them," Oscar Isaac may find himself fighting a war on two fronts sooner than later.
Khonshu
The Moon god cometh.
While Isaac's character is experiencing his dissociative identity disorder, he sees a flash of a staff-wielding beaked creature. This is Khonshu, the aforementioned moon god responsible for saving Marc Spector's life in Marvel Comics. Khonshu is the one who imbues Spector with powers, transforming him into Moon Knight.
Some of his methods may be questionable, but Khonshu is an overall mentor to Moon Knight. Their relationship will likely follow suit to past teacher and student dynamics in the MCU, like the Ancient One and Doctor Strange.
Arthur Harrow
Ethan Hawke makes his much-anticipated arrival halfway through this footage, donning a brown band-collar shirt. Subtitles reveal Hawke's character to be named Arthur Harrow.
On the page, Harrow is a renowned surgeon and scientist who secretly works for OMNIUM, a mysterious organization. While the intricacies of Harrow's live-action adaptation remain to be seen, he does appear to have the exact cult-like following that lines up with the basis of Hawke's "David Koresh" inspiration for the character.
David Koresh was an American cult leader responsible for the infamous 1993 Waco siege. It's unclear if a similar destructive path will follow Harrow, but this trailer shows he is at least beginning his journey in a similar way to Koresh.
An Armed Prayer
Harrow leads an outdoor gathering which sees dozens of his followers kneel before him. Among these people is Oscar Isaac's character, although it's unclear whether he is Steven Grant or Marc Spector at that time.
While it appears that he was getting ready to take a knee, Isaac noticeably does not kneel in the footage shown. Isaac's reluctance may be out of confusion, but it could also be out of protest. Isaac being the lone figure to stand also calls back to 2012's The Avengers, where one German citizen refused to kneel before Loki.
In the background of the following shot, an armed man stands behind Isaac. Only a couple of gunmen are shown on camera, but the presence of rifles indicates Harrow's gatherings are enforced by force.
Ice Cream Truck Getaway
Harrow's gathering won't end well.
Towards the end of the trailer, Isaac is shown driving an ice cream truck with a handgun in tow. This, along with his bludgeoned knuckles, takes him by shock, indicating he has no recollection of how he ended up in this scenario.
This pink and yellow dessert mobile makes its first appearance next to an armed member of Harrow's gathering. Based on that and Isaac's attire when he's behind the wheel, this prayer circle doesn't end peacefully. If Isaac's character elected to stay standing, it may have resulted in significant violence between him and Harrow's armed allies.
Embrace the Chaos
Moon Knight's debut trailer concludes with Isaac suited up in his stained white cloak, complete with his iconic glowing eyes.
This hero shot comes right after Moon Knight pummels some sort of non-human creature. This mysterious beast could be Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, or a servant of his. While Khonshu's presence indicates Spector / Grant has a deity on his side, the potential violent involvement of Anubis hints that there are Egyptian gods that aren't too fond of the new hero.
This battle also takes place around an array of poorly-lit sinks, and based on the size, this is likely a bathroom for a large building. Trailer footage leading up to this moment indicates this is a bathroom in the museum that Steven Grant works at, which hints at this artifact gallery having a deeper connection to Ancient Egyptian mythology.
Moon Knight begins streaming on March 30, exclusively on Disney+.
