It’s been over a year since the MCU’s Moon Knight show was released on Disney+, and yet the future of the hero has only gotten more confusing. Played by Oscar Isaac, Steven Grant and Marc Spector discovered the true depths of their shared psyche and dissociate identity disorder while also delivering justice as the Moon Knight, aka the Fist of Khonshu. However, there was plenty of room for more adventures by the series’ end.
Working together and saving the world from the goddess Ammitt and her avatar Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), Steven and Marc came together as Moon Knight while allied with Marc’s wife Layla El-Faouly who became the Scarlet Scarab, the avatar for the goddess Taweret in the final episode. Combined with the new mystery of a third and far more violent alter unknown to both Marc and Steven, Moon Knight certainly has future narratives that can be told, though things have only gotten more confusing in the absence of a second-season confirmation or anything regarding Moon Knight’s future in the MCU.
Moon Knight’s MCU Status Has Been Unclear For Over A Year
As it stands, Moon Knight was originally listed as a limited MCU series with Oscar Isaac only signed on for one season. However, the set-up and cliffhangers featured in the final episode make the show ripe for a second season with the dawn of the Scarlet Scarab and the reveal that Moon Knight’s third personality Jake Lockley from the comics also exists in the MCU (serving the moon god Khonshu in secret). Furthermore, Oscar Isaac has communicated his desire to revisit Moon Knight in the future.
Strangely, Marvel has gone over a year without even hinting at another Moon Knight project, even with the teases present in the final episode. This is certainly a very odd way to handle what was a very well-received and popular character during Marvel’s Phase 4. One would think that Marvel Studios would have announced something more concrete by now.
Moon Knight’s Layla Reportedly Has A Big MCU Future
Interestingly enough, there have been rumors that Marvel has plans for actress May Calamawy to continue playing Layla and her new role as the Scarlet Scarab, as was recently reported by Deadline. While that’s very exciting, it’s unknown if that’s in the context of a potential Moon Knight season 2 or something else entirely like a Marvel Studios Special Presentation similar to Werewolf by Night. It could also be referencing possible Marvel plans to have Layla featured in their upcoming crossover films in development such as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and/or Avengers: Secret Wars.
Meanwhile, it’s been all quiet about what the MCU has in store for Moon Knight. One would imagine that Layla and Marc would still be working together in the aftermath of Moon Knight season 1. That said, Scarlet Scarab could certainly lead her own project in the MCU even if Moon Knight is for some reason absent in whatever Marvel might have planned for the near future.
Moon Knight’s Absence Represents A Bigger MCU Problem
The confusion and ambiguity about Moon Knight’s future is indicative of a bigger problem for the MCU. It’s no secret that Marvel’s Phase 4 was all over the place in terms of just how many new characters and plot lines were introduced in a very short amount of time. In the midst of all that, not a lot was done to give audiences an idea of where or when certain characters would be seen again and what the future held.
Moon Knight is not the only one with an ambiguous future from Phase 4. The vast majority of newly introduced heroes were essentially left in the lurch, no doubt ready to be used in crossovers (though very few concrete specifics were provided). One of the notable exceptions would be Ms. Marvel whose upcoming role in The Marvels was clearly set up by the end of her own show.
Will Moon Knight Appear Again In The MCU?
Ultimately, the odds are very strong that a character as popular as Moon Knight will be seen again in the MCU. Oscar Isaac is interested, and he did confirm that he’s had talks with Marvel about Moon Knight’s future. There’s clearly more of his story that could and should be told as he continues to operate as an impressive vigilante in the MCU. The challenge is that there’s currently no telling when and where he might show up again.
It stands to reason that some sort of role in Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars could be in the works for Moon Knight. Regardless, to have Marc Spector and Steven Grant never show up in the MCU again after a single limited series would be a major waste on Marvel Studios’ part. Furthermore, his crossover potential with single heroes could be quite compelling as well.
Which MCU Projects Moon Knight Could Appear In Next
Moon Knight season 2 would be the most obvious and hoped-for choice for Spector’s next appearance in the MCU. However, he’d also make sense for a series like Daredevil: Born Again. Spector and Matt Murdock have a history in the comics, and both are street-level heroes who implement the same levels of violence while dispensing justice. They also have the shared gift of turning what some might see as inherent challenges (blindness and DID) and have instead turned them into inspirational strengths.
Moon Knight would also be perfect for Blade which is set to star Mahershala Ali in the titular role. Having fought jackal monsters in Moon Knight with a history of facing the supernatural in the comics, Marc Spector could fit right in as an ally to Blade the Vampire Hunter. At any rate, fingers are crossed that Marc Spector and Steven Grant’s Moon Knight still has a future in the MCU, despite Marvel Studios’ offering very little in the way of substance in the year following the series’ release on Disney+.