An official Marvel Studios announcement brought the world of Moon Knight back to the spotlight in the MCU. While Moon Knight's solo series has not yet received a second season, the character's popularity remains high, and fans are eager to see more stories with the powerful, mystical hero.
Marvel Studios confirmed F. Murray Abraham's return to the MCU as Khonshu in Marvel Zombies. Courtesy of an official Marvel press release, Abraham will make his second MCU appearance after debuting as Khonshu in 2022's Moon Knight.
Abraham's Khonshu is an ancient Egyptian god of the moon and vengeance in Marvel lore, using humans as vessels to bring the Moon Knight hero to life over the years. In the MCU, he uses Oscar Isaac's Marc Spector as his vessel, allowing Marc to suit up as Moon Knight and fight evildoers.
For Abraham's next appearance, Khonshu will use Eric Brooks/Blade as his vessel rather than Marc Spector, bringing a new flavor to Moon Knight's legacy. This version of Blade was first teased in the final credits sequence from What If...? Season 3, and this is the first confirmation that the character will have Khonshu beside him.
Marvel Zombies, Marvel Studios' next streaming release, will be the franchise's first-ever R-rated animated series. Spinning off from Season 1, Episode 5 of What If...?, the show will feature stars like Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) as their heroes fight a zombie invasion. All four episodes of Marvel Zombies will debut on Disney+ on Wednesday, September 24.
What To Expect From Moon Knight in Marvel Zombies
In Marvel Zombies, Khonshu will use Blade as his avatar instead of Moon Knight, giving Blade abilities and a look that fans have never seen. Voice actor Todd Williams will join Marvel Zombies to voice Blade, working alongside Abraham to introduce a version of the vampire hunter tied to the moon god.
Thus far, Blade has only enjoyed minimal screentime in marketing material for Marvel Zombies, but those scenes have given him a chance to show off epic action moves against the undead.
In one shot from the trailers, Khonshu's reflection can be seen in Blade's sword, confirming the influence the Egyptian god will have on Eric Brooks in the heat of battle. It is still unclear why Khonshu chose Brooks as his vessel, though perhaps fans will find out if Marc Spector ever existed in the Marvel Zombies universe.
Now, with fans still anxiously waiting to see what Marvel Studios does with Mahershala Ali's live-action Blade, Marvel Zombies will at least provide a taste of what to expect under the MCU umbrella.
And while Moon Knight himself has yet to return in the MCU proper, an upcoming film rumored to be fast-tracked by Marvel Studios could finally bring Oscar Isaac's hero back.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
