After a thrilling six-episode run, Moon Knight has wrapped its first season, which has a very real chance of continuing for a second. Starring Oscar Isaac, the story follows Marc Spector as he struggles with Dissociative Identity Disorder, alongside being the Avatar of the Egyptian God Khonshu. If even a part of that sounds familiar, those instincts would be right—being the Avatar for the moon-bird God sure seems a lot like the Black Panther’s situation.
In the MCU’s lore, Bast is the Panther God who gave Wakanda the power of the heart-shaped herb. The same item that gave T’Challa, and his lineage before him, the power of the Black Panther to watch over their nation.
So, for simplicity's sake, it’s safe to say that both Khonshu and Bast have Avatars running around Earth protecting people. In fact, both even have strong ties to Africa in general.
It leads one to wonder: is there a connection between the two?
The Black Panther Connection
In an exclusive interview, The Direct's Russ Milheim got to sit down with Moon Knight writer Beau DeMayo to discuss the possible connection between Black Panther's God Bast and Marc Spector's boss, Khonshu.
The writer made it clear that "[they] talked a lot... about where the Egyptian Gods sat alongside other Gods in the Marvel Universe:"
“We talked a lot in the room about where the Egyptian Gods sat alongside other Gods in the Marvel Universe, and ultimately we kind of came to this conclusion that part of what’s fun about Moon Knight, and I think something I’ve been seeing people really like, is it really does feel like it sits in this very scary corner of the MCU that no one wants to look at. Which is kind of where Moon Knight has always existed as a character. Like, he protects the travelers of the night, the people who fall through the cracks, the people who are in alleyways, the people who are forgotten and overlooked."
With all the continuity that the MCU has, it would be easy to get lost in all the possibilities. This is why the writers "always pulled back from getting too into [their] heads," and always "focus[ed] on how to make the Egyptian Gods work in Marc Spector's story," while also not "upending any continuity issues:"
"So we kind of always pulled back from getting too into our heads. I think about, you know, has Bast and Odin and Khonshu ever thrown back pints on Titan, and been like, ‘That Thanos!’ It was always just really focusing on how to make the Egyptian Gods work in Marc Spector’s story, and then making sure that they were never in a place where we were really upending any continuity issues with the MCU.”
DeMayo then brought up a great point, about how in real life, "cats always kill birds," a sentiment that might ring true if the two ever cross paths.
“[laughs] You have to wonder! You do have to wonder. I do like this question though, about like, Khonshu and Bast, because I have a cat—I’m an avid cat lover—who is literally sitting [across the room], and I feel compelled to say that cats always kill birds, so I’m just going to say that."
Will Khonshu and Bast Inevitably Meet?
Given DeMayo’s comments about cats and birds, it sure does seem like he has an idea for how their potential meet-up would go. But, sadly, it doesn’t seem like he was given a chance to make it a reality.
It’s great to hear how the writer’s room made sure to discuss where the Egyptian Gods stand in the universe overall, while also making a point not to upend any continuity. This conversation undoubtedly would have brought Bast’s name up at least once in the room.
So for those that were hoping to see a more blatant connection to Black Panther’s world show up in Moon Knight, sadly, it didn't happen this time—at least not in this first season. Episode 5 of the series did give a wink and a nod to Wakanda's Ancestral Plane though, demonstrating that there are some ties between the two franchises.
And after all, it’s safe to say that Oscar Isaac’s character won’t be going anywhere any time soon, so perhaps there is more room to explore the MCU's Gods. That is, assuming both Gods survive the wrath of Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder when it lands on July 8.
Moon Knight is currently streaming on Disney+, while Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters worldwide on November 11.
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