Moon Knight Easter Egg Sets Up The MCU's Next Thanos
Caution: spoilers ahead for Moon Knight episode 6
Did you catch the subtle Kang the Conqueror tease in Disney+'s Moon Knight finale? Followers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are well accustomed to long-term franchise setup, with one project invariably leading into the next, and that trend has only gathered steam since the MCU spread onto Disney+. WandaVision sets the stage for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Falcon & The Winter Soldier raises the flag for Captain America 4 and a Thunderbolts movie, while Hawkeye takes aim toward Echo. Moon Knight, on the other hand, couldn't care less. The Egyptian adventures of Marc Spector and Steven Grant barely even acknowledge the wider MCU, let alone set up future projects.
As an innovative twist on Marvel's Easter egg tradition, Moon Knight provides onscreen QR codes for viewers to scan. Each code leads to a free Moon Knight comic book download, and these issues usually bear some connection to their corresponding episode. For example, the second QR code leads to a Werewolf by Night cover that mimics Moon Knight's episode 2 jackal fight, while code 3 yields a comic containing Bushman, who's first mentioned during that same episode. Moon Knight episode 6's QR code can be found on a poster in Arthur Harrow's psychiatric hospital during the post-credits sequence, and while the newest comic has precious little connection to Moon Knight's ending, it does tease the character's potential future...
The final QR code of Moon Knight season 1 links to Moon Knight Annual #1 Acts of Evil. This 2019 release is essentially a battle between Moon Knight and Kang the Conqueror after the infamous time-traveling villain reshapes reality to his whim and erases Khonshu from existence. Since there's no obvious correlation between Moon Knight Annual #1 and the events of Moon Knight episode 6, one can only assume this comic was chosen as a hint toward Oscar Isaac's MCU future.
Kang the Conqueror first came to MCU prominence when Jonathan Majors joined the Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania cast, but the actor made a surprise debut in Loki as He Who Remains - a not-quite-so-evil Kang variant. Loki revealed that bad Kangs had already dominated the multiverse once, but He Who Remains defeated them by creating the Sacred Timeline which prevented any conquest-minded Kang variants rising up. When an angry Sylvie decided He Who Remains should remain no longer, the Sacred Timeline splintered, and Kang the Conqueror was unleashed upon the MCU once again. Aside from the TVA's new statue, Kang hasn't yet made his presence felt, but as Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania draws closer, the villain is widely suspected to become the franchise's next Thanos - an overarching villain who bleeds across multiple releases.
Moon Knight episode 6's QR code certainly supports that theory. Given how strictly Moon Knight has socially-distanced from the MCU, directing fans toward a Marc Spector vs. Kang the Conqueror comic must surely mean Marvel intends to bring these characters together before long. A clash against Moon Knight would suggest Kang's role in the MCU extends far beyond just Loki and Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania, and his temporal fiddling could have disastrous effects across the entire franchise landscape - even in Moon Knight's insular world where an Egyptian god makes the night sky go funny and Doctor Strange is too busy picking out novelty coffee mugs to notice.
Given the infinite possibilities Kang's presence brings to the MCU, Moon Knight season 2 (which isn't officially confirmed, but we all saw that post-credits scene...) could feature a Kang who borrows from the Acts of Evil comic and targets the Egyptian gods. Such a storyline could even incorporate Rama-Tut. This pharaoh Kang variant was teased by an Easter egg in Moon Knight episode 3 - a logo on a thug's jacket that might hint Kang's influence is already weaving through the MCU. By the time Moon Knight returns, Kang could've established himself as an Egyptian ruler and set his sights on the gods, forcing Marc Spector and his various alters to rescue their stupid little bird together.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/SxAbg2B
via Whole story
Post a Comment