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All References and Easter Eggs in Moon Knight Episode 1

Just like any other MCU project, Moon Knight also managed to make some major references. The first episode premiered on the Disney+ streaming platform yesterday and it was an absolutely unique experience when it comes to an MCU project. There were a lot of references to the arc of the character from the comics and at the same time we got to see certain Easter eggs. Even though the peak of the series has to be when we get to see Moon Knight appear at the end of the series, fans are going through every single detail of the series. Let’s take a look at all the references and Easter eggs in Moon Knight episode 1 on Disney+.

Namor Reference

There are a lot of characters who are set to make their debut in the franchise very soon. Some of the most essential amongst these characters include Namor the Sub-Mariner who has been rumored to make his appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The first episode actually makes a reference to Namor when we see a London shop called “Atlantis” when Steven is running for his bus. Atlanta has long been teased in the MCU with the very first of these appearing on the SHIELD map in Iron Man 2. This could be a hint at the future of the character in the franchise.

 

The Avatar Joke(s)

As a joke, the episode ends up talking about both the Avatar projects when Arthur Harrow refers to Ammit being betrayed by her own “avatar“. Steven responds to this by saying, “Blue people. Love that film.” This is a clear reference to the James Cameron-directed 2009 film Avatar which is actually owned by Disney now. As Harrow tries to explain what he really meant, Steven interrupts him by saying, “You mean the anime?“. This on the other hand is a reference to Avatar: The Last Airbender.

 

Layla Is Marlene Alraune From Marvel Comics

Layla, played by May Calamawy, could actually be Moon Knight‘s take on the character of Marlene Alraune. In the comics, she was actually an archaeologist and a close friend of Marc Spector’s. They are even romantically linked, something that we can expect to see in the series too added to the fact that she is an archaeologist. The episode even indicates that she has been with Marc Spector and is not aware of Steven Grant at all.

 

The Living Statue Is A Marvel Character

Easter Eggs in Moon Knight Episode 1

The very first few minutes of the series introduce us to another character who is actually Grant’s closest friend. This is none other than a golden living stature played by Shaun Scott who doesn’t even give his name. Steven calls him Crawley and this could actually be a reference to Bertrand Crawley, a homeless man who serves as Marc Spector’s informant. It is interesting to see how the series managed to make certain changes to the character compared to his appearance in the comics.

 

Donna Is Also From Marvel Comics

We get to see the very first problem that Steven Grant will be facing with Donna. This character has a persona much-like someone we have seen quite a few times in our lives too. But Donna is actually someone we might have seen before in Marvel comics. The names could have been derived from Donna Kraft, who made her debut in the 1992 Moon Knight #39 as Marc Spector’s publicist. It is interesting to see how Marvel has made her work over Steven whereas in the comics she worked for Marc.

 

The “Duchamp” Easter Egg

As Steven Grant is going through the flip phone he found in his apartment, he discovers various missed calls from Layla. As he is going through the names, the only other name that appears one time is a “Duchamp“. Duchamp has to be a reference to Jean-Paul Duchamp – one of Moon Knight’s allies from the comics. There was no indication that this character was going to appear in the series considering the casting for the role isn’t clarified either. This could mean that the name was only an Easter egg to the character who was Moon Knight’s most popular sidekick.

 

The Arthur Harrow “Pain Theory” Reference

Ever since fans discovered that Ethan Hawke’s villain in the series is named Arthur Harrow, they tried to analyze the parallels between the two characters. But there was hardly any aspect of the character that could be linked based on the trailer. The opening of the series actually ends up making a rather fair reference to the character from Marvel comics. In the comics, Dr. Harrow was actually an expert in “pain theory” and lives with an incurable debilitating condition that causes constant agony. The opening of the series sees Harrow putting broken glass into his shoes before putting them on.

 

Hint At How Egyptian Mythology Works In The MCU

In the past, MCU has advocated that the gods in the universe are actually alien beings. This was seen in the case of Thor, Loki, Odin, and other Asgardians. But the Egyptian gods shown in the series could actually be a reference to the ones we have seen as traditional deities rather than being otherworldly. There were several references to the Ennead in the first episode. This is considered to be a flock of gods who were based at the pocket dimension Celestial Heliopolis and could travel to Earth via a gateway. When they came to Earth, they ended up getting worshipped by the locals.

 

Marc’s Transformation Foreshadowed By Moon Knight’s Mirror

Easter Eggs in Moon Knight Episode 1

There are various references and symbols associated with Moon Knight throughout the episode. The very first of these references was when we see a crescent appear around the bed with the sand that Grant puts in order to make sure he didn’t walk away from his bed. Multiple exterior shots even clearly show the moon and there is even a white circle motif ins his apartment. The most obvious amongst these has to be when a white circular mirror appears which is very reminiscent of the moon. It is clearly a very neat visual representation of the secret the superhero is hiding from Grant.

 

Arthur Harrow Did Not Mention Thanos

There were a lot of references to various historical events when Arthur Harrow presents Ammit’s virtues, “Had Ammit been free, she would’ve prevented Hitler, the destruction he wrought, Nero, the Armenian genocide, Pol Pot…“. But there is no reference to the last decade of events that happened in the MCU. The idea is that there is no reference to Thanos who had actually caused one of humanity’s worst moments.

So these were all the Easter Eggs in Moon Knight Episode 1. Did you spot others? Let us know in the comments.

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