Phase 4 has seen Marvel Studios dive head-first into the world of television with six original series already streaming on Disney+. Fans have been on adventures with beloved favorites, had their minds blown with jaw-dropping stories, and most recently, been introduced to a brand-new hero in Oscar Issac's Moon Knight. This adventure has been a surprise for MCU fans, offering a darker take on the universe, and one that lives relatively unconnected to the greater canon.
The first five episodes of the Disney+ series have certainly been a wild ride, taking audiences on a grand tour of Egyptian mythology with mercenary Marc Spector and museum worker Steven Grant. Serving the Moon God Khonshu under the mantle of Moon Knight, Marc is on a mission to stop Arthur Harrow from reviving Ammit, the personification of divine retribution.
With the finale right around the corner, things aren't looking so good for the heroes of Moon Knight. Spector and Grant now lay in the afterlife after having been shot by Harrow who seemingly has succeeded in freeing Ammit, while Marc's love interest Layla was last seen in the lost tomb of Alexander the Great.
Moving into the final installment, Marvel Studios has plenty left to achieve with Moon Knight, and yet it has been reported to be the shortest episode yet at only 42 minutes. Khonshu still needs to be freed, Spector and Grant need to be resurrected, Harrow must be defeated, and Layla needs some form of romantic resolution with Marc, all while setting the stage for Moon Knight's future.
As the sixth and final episode sits a matter of days away, here are ten of The Direct's predictions for Moon Knight's next chapter.
Khonshu Returns
Following his crimes of tampering with the sky, the Moon God Khonshu was imprisoned in a statue by his fellow Egyptian gods. This leaves Marc Spector free of the frustrating voices in his head, but also without the ability to summon the armored suit he typically dons in combat.
With Moon Knight set to face off against Arthur Harrow in the finale, having already been shown in trailers to be wearing his iconic suit, Khonshu will almost certainly be freed. The Moon God will likely be key to resurrecting the deceased Marc and Steven, potentially leaving it up to Layla to free him in the first half of the episode.
A Harrowing Twist
Up until now, Ethan Hawke's cultist villain Arthur Harrow has actively pursued the goal of freeing Ammit, but some have theorized he may be working for somebody else: Anubis.
Within Egyptian mythology, Ammit was simply the one to devour souls, while Anubis would be the one weighing them against a feather to judge them. So far, Arthur Harrow has been shown to weigh souls using his cane and the scale tattoo on his arm, before simply making them drop-dead, thereby sacrificing them to Ammit.
Based on Harrow's role in this process, it could be theorized he is either working for or possibly even is Anubis. After all, when Steven was chased by a supernatural creature in the second episode, the creature in question was a jackal - the creature Anubis gets his head from.
Ammit Comes to Life
Arthur Harrow's goal throughout the series has been to resurrect Ammit, the devourer of the dead, so she can deliver her judgment upon the world. Marc's time in the underworld indicated Harrow had already succeeded in that goal as countless souls began descending into the underworld.
Not only will Moon Knight have the tough task of defeating Harrow in the climactic installment, but he will also need to find a way to recapture Ammit. Actress Sofia Danu has already been revealed as the voice of the Egyptian goddess, meaning she will almost certainly have a physical presence in the finale.
Egyptian mythology describes Ammit as having the forequarters of a lion, the hindquarters of a hippopotamus, and the head of a crocodile, so it will be intriguing to see how Marvel Studios can translate that to live-action.
Enter Jake Lockley
Across Moon Knight, Marvel Studios has primarily explored Steven Grant and Marc Spector, two people living in the same body due to their dissociative identity disorder. The penultimate installment of the series revealed Marc was the original personality who created Steven in his head as a means of escaping from the trauma caused by his mother's abuse.
Throughout the show, there have been a few hints towards Marc having a third personality living within him. First, Spector blacked out during a flight in Egypt and killed several of Harrow's men, only for Steven to promise he wasn't responsible. Next, after Marc freed Steven from a sarcophagus in the asylum, a second coffin was seen shaking, hinting toward this third personality.
Within Marvel Comics, Marc Spector, Steven Grant, and Jake Lockley are the three main personalities of Moon Knight. After having already seen the existence of a secret third personality teased in the series, Jake Lockley appears to be coming to Disney+, and the finale is the perfect place to tease him.
Granted, with so much left to wrap up in the finale, Lockley probably won't see a fully fleshed-out role, but he may be teased for the future and a potential second season. Arguably the best way to do this would be through a post-credits scene that sees Spector blackout and turn into Lockley, perhaps in a flashback to his killing of Harrow's men in Episode 3.
Layla's Complicated Romance
When May Calamawy's Layla first appeared, Marc was preparing to divorce her in hopes of distancing her from Khonshu, who he believed wanted his wife for his next avatar. Since then, Layla and Marc's romance has only grown more complicated as she shared a kiss with Steven, something her husband was less than pleased about.
As Moon Knight prepares to conclude its first season, Layla and Marc will need to reach some kind of understanding, to establish the future of their relationship. One angle this could take would be a complicated arrangement that involves her being in a relationship with both Marc and Steven, or perhaps Steven will finally get that date and find love of his own.
Who Booked the Date?
The premiere of Moon Knight made for a particularly complicated affair, especially for those less familiar with Marc Spector and his many identities. As the episode followed Steven Grant as he blacks out and loses memories, one of the more hilarious sequences saw him reminded of a date he had no memory of booking.
With Spector now revealed to be married to Layla, there remains a question of who booked the date if it wasn't Steven and was unlikely to be Marc. Perhaps Jake Lockley was the one responsible, but since the woman in question was a colleague of Steven's there would be little reason for him to be at the museum to meet her.
Marc has long been concerned with keeping Steven happy and safe, so maybe he arranged the date on his behalf in the hopes of finding him love and happiness. Although having two relationships attached to two different people in one body would certainly be an arrangement with its fair share of complications.
Either way, whoever arranged the date with museum tour guide Dylan continues to be among the many open questions of Moon Knight, and one which ought to see an answer in the finale. Perhaps Steven will even finally go on the date after having missed it during one of his blackouts.
Marc Reunites with his Father
Having grown up being abused and beaten by his mother, Marc has been estranged from his family ever since he left home. Despite his father inviting him to attend the funeral after his abusive mother's death, Marc opted to remain on the street and watch from outside, only sharing a moment of eye contact with the elder Spector.
With Marc's mental state having potentially improved slightly as a result of his metaphorical therapy session in the asylum, perhaps he may now be ready to make peace with his father. Maybe Steven will even finally have a conversation with his father, after all, everyone family phone call he has made so far has been to his deceased mother.
Bushman Debuts
Moon Knight's Arthur Harrow amalgamates elements of several popular Marvel Comics villains - including Sun King and Dr. Emmit. Despite the decision taken to create an original villain for the Disney+ series, Moon Knight does have his own rogues' gallery in the comics, with his most popular opponent being Bushman.
The fifth installment made reference to the popular foe in a flashback sequence which named Bushman as Marc's former commanding officer who he later went to work for as a mercenary after being discharged. On a job to raid an Egyptian tomb, Bushman changed the plan and called for the killing of all witnesses, which included Layla's father and Marc Spector himself.
With the Bushman now confirmed to exist in the MCU, it's only logical for him to serve as Moon Knight's next antagonist, making a cryptic role in the finale entirely possible. There were even reports as far back as November 2019 that Bushman will be in the Disney+ series, and since then audition tapes have circulated of actors reading for the role, but it remains unclear if anyone was ever cast.
Hulk Meets Moon Knight
Moon Knight has proven to be Marvel Studios' most standalone venture since Iron Man, with almost no references to the greater Marvel world around it. But given the interconnected nature of this universe, fans can be confident Marc Spector won't be living in his own bubble for long as the flood gates open to MCU connections.
There have already been rumors to suggest Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner, aka Hulk, will make an appearance in the series, and it's easy to see how he could fit into things. Not only has the genius Avenger already popped up in Shang-Chi to bring him into the fold of heroes, but Banner could prove helpful to Spector given his experience in managing living with multiple identities.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Sharon Carter - better known as Madripoor's crime boss the Power Broker - has also been rumored to appear in the series. Layla has already established her own history with Madripoor as the location of her first encounter with antique collector Anton Mogart.
Prior to becoming Moon Knight, Spector did accrue combat training with both the Marines and the CIA. Given Carter's time spent in the CIA, perhaps the two may have crossed paths before. How exactly the Power Broker could fit into the finale is unclear, but a powerful ancient artifact, such as Harrow's cane, could be of interest to her mission.
Even though the rumors point to Hulk and Sharon Carter, they aren't the only MCU characters with a chance of appearing in Moon Knight. Steven Grant works as a gift shop worker in National Art Gallery, while Kit Harington's Dane Whitman was introduced as a scientist and historian at the Natural History Museum, both of which are in London. With both Grant and Whitman working in London museums, the two could justifiably bump into each other.
Werewolf by Night Gets Introduced
Moon Knight opened the doors to the supernatural side of Marvel by introducing viewers to gods, mythical creatures, and ancient powers. These themes are only expected to become more prominent over the years to come between Blade and the Werewolf by Night Halloween special which is expected to hit Disney+ later this year.
Mahershala Ali's Blade recently made a brief vocal cameo in Eternals to warn Kit Harington's Dane Whitman about picking up the ancient Ebony Blade - the famous weapon of Black Knight. Perhaps the vampire-hunter may appear in the Moon Knight finale to offer another tease of what's to come from the supernatural future of Marvel.
A post-credits scene could also be the perfect place to tease and announce the Werewolf by Night Halloween special. After all, the Disney+ special is filming now, and yet Marvel Studios has yet to deliver a proper announcement, which could be to maintain the surprise of the Moon Knight finale.
Can Moon Knight Stick the Landing?
Across Marvel Studios' many Disney+ series already release, pacing has remained a controversial point, as many argue the six-episode structure has proven too short. Almost every series has persistently left too many open threads to be resolved with the finale, leading to a rushed and unsatisfying conclusion.
Moon Knight still has many questions left to answer in the finale, and yet it will also be the shortest yet at only 42 minutes. Who knows if this run time will be enough to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the six-episode epic, but the writers have so far proven more than capable, so hopefully they can stick the landing.
The first five episodes of Moon Knight are streaming now, and the finale will soon release on May 4, exclusive on Disney+.
