Moon Knight's finale showcased the transformation of May Calamawy's Layla into the MCU's Scarlet Scarab as well as the proper debut of Oscar Isaac's Jake Lockley. Although the episode didn't actually give Layla a superhero name, Marvel Studios later revealed the Scarlet Scarab title for the character. This is on top of the fact that Layla's suit resembles the scarab artifact that has been integral to the plot of the show's main storyline.
Calamawy addressed the big change in her character during the finale, admitting that "it's an honor" to represent the Middle East with a new superhero. The Moon Knight actress also revealed her dream character crossovers, saying that it would be fun to team up with Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange and Mahershala Ali's Blade.
Now, the MCU newcomer has shared more interesting details about the Scarlet Scarab while also toying around with the idea of meeting Jake Lockley in the future.
Moon Knight Couple Confusion
Moon Knight star May Calamawy sat down with Inverse to talk about Layla and her Marvel future.
When asked if Layla would get the chance to meet Jake Lockley in the future, Calamawy joked around the idea of her MCU character getting pregnant with Lockley's baby, revealing that Oscar Isaac and herself used to joke about that very possibility during Moon Knight rehearsals:
"Gosh, it's like there are three people in there! We used to come up with so many jokes when we were rehearsing every episode. 'Like, wouldn’t it be funny if Layla was pregnant with Jake's baby?' It just seems like we're gonna have to wait and see whatever magic comes if, and when, we get to continue this story."
In Marvel Comics, Jake Lockley actually got Marlene, Marc Spector's love interest, pregnant. In the MCU, Layla is inspired by the Marlene character from the comics. During Moon Knight # 190 (2016), Diatrice Alraune, Lockley and Marlene's daughter made her debut. Marlene's daughter is also hidden from both Marc and Steven:
In the comic panel above, Diatrice actually recognizes Marc as "Uncle Jake."
During Moon Knight's finale, Layla became the Avatar of the Egyptian Goddess Taweret, earning the title Scarlet Scarab. When asked what it means to portray an Egyptian superhero, Calamawy admitted that it's "interesting," saying that her hair served as a huge aspect of "what helps me get into character:"
"It's interesting. The hair is an aspect of what helps me get into character. I had told the head of hair and makeup that I wanted my hair to be left alone. It needs to be curly and it needs to be big. I also didn't want any heat on my hair. So they got me a hairpiece where the front is all my hair, and the back is the hairpiece and it really protected my hair. You cannot focus on continuity with curly hair. There's no such thing. If I just lay on it, it's going to look different the next minute. Whereas with straight hair, you can sleep on it, and the next day, they're like, this is great."
The Marvel actress also discussed her research into Scarlet Scarab's comic book history. Calamawy revealed that the character's motivation is "pretty political" and a "true advocate" for Egypt:
"He was a true advocate for his country and a fighter for Egypt. He fought for what he felt was right and it didn't matter who it was that was crossing his path. It's pretty political when you read it."
Calamawy also pointed out that she initially wanted all of Scarlet Scarab's powers such as taking other people's abilities. However, the actress shared that Marvel "purposely wanted" to keep Scarlet Scarab's powers a mystery so that future projects can expand on them:
"It's funny because I wanted all his powers. He can zap strength from the different people he's fighting and take their powers. He can fly. I was like, 'Guys, I want all of this!' I think they purposely wanted to keep Scarlet Scarab’s powers a mystery so they could be expanded on."
Will Jake Lockley and Layla Meet Down the Line?
May Calamawy's joke about Layla getting impregnated by Jake Lockley could serve as a tease of both characters' eventual encounter in the future. While it's safe to assume that the actress' joke is not serious, the prospect of seeing Layla as the mother of Lockley or Steven Grant, or Marc Spector's child is high, especially after what the pair went through during Moon Knight's initial run.
It's a natural progression for Layla and Spector's story to end up with a child in the future, but given the character's status as Scarlet Scarab, it seems that fans will need to wait for a little while more before a potential pregnancy. At this point, Layla is still unaware of the existence of Jake Lockley, and there's a strong chance that she will be caught off guard once again by this reveal.
Given Layla's status as a newbie hero, it's possible that she would disagree with Lockley's killing spree on top of continuing to serve Khonshu without the knowledge of either Spector or Grant. If Moon Knight returns for a second season, then the show could explore the ramifications of Lockley's ruthless and evil measure, thus leading to Layla finding a way to tell the two other alters about the dangerous new personality.
Calamawy's passion for portraying the Scarlet Scarab is a step in the right direction, mainly because it will eventually translate toward her on-screen appearance. At this point, it is unknown how the Scarlet Scarab fits in the MCU's grand plan in Phase 4 and beyond, but Middle Eastern Marvel fans will have someone that they can all relate to while setting the stage for more representation down the line.
Moon Knight is now streaming on Disney+.
