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Yesterday saw Oscar Isaac’s debut in the MCU as Marvel’s Moon Knight. Our first introduction to the character was as Steven Grant, a mild-mannered assistant who works for London’s National Art Gallery and who, at first glance, appears to be having issues with his memory. However, viewers soon realize everything is not as cut and dry as first imagined when it’s revealed that Steven is living with Disassociative Identity Disorder and “Steven Grant” is just one of his multiple identities.
Along with being one of the most intriguing comic book adaptions straight out of the gate, the first episode titled “The Goldfish Problem” also brought many Moon Knight easter eggs and comic book references for the eagle-eyed viewers to enjoy. Without further ado, here are some of our favourite easter eggs and references that can be found within episode 1 of Moon Knight.
Moon Knight Easter Eggs From Episode One
The Case of Arthur Harrow and the Glass-Filled Shoes
As soon as episode 1 of Moon Knight starts, we see Arthur Harrow, played by Ethan Hawke, filling his shoes with crushed glass before wearing them. Not just a weird way to introduce the villainous cult leader to the screen; instead, it’s a fitting call back the Arthur Harrow’s comic book counterpart.
First introduced in Moon Knight #2, which was published in 1985, Arthur Harrow was known as Dr. Harrow and was a scientist working as an expert in “pain theory”. Arthur was trying to work on the way to entirely block out the body’s response to any and all pain. This research path was started because Dr. Harrow was looking for a way to cure his own chronic pain condition. Making his introductory scene a very small but welcome reference to Arthur Harrow from the comics.
Yet Another Reference to Namor?
One of the longest teased characters reveals in the MCU is Namor, the Sub-Mariner. At this point, it’s hard not to feel like Marvel is just messing with us but looking at this easter egg in relation to others, it’s hard not to get excited. With Atlantis, the home to Namor, was heavily hinted at both in Iron Man 2 and Avengers Endgame, there is also compelling evidence of Namor finally joining the MCU in the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
If true, we can’t help but feel a storefront called “Atlantis” that can briefly be seen in the first episode of Moon Knight is hardly a coincidence but rather a small yet compelling breadcrumb hinting at things to come.
Donna Who?
One of my favourite parts about comic-to-screen adaptions is dissecting each character who gets introduced to try and find their comic book counterparts. In the first episode of Moon Knight, we are introduced to Donna, someone as familiar feeling as she is unlikable. Donna is Steven’s boss, and her specific brand of personality should remind everyone of a similar person in their own lives.
However, in the comics, Donna couldn’t be more different. Going under the name Donna Kraft and making her comic debut in Moon Knight #39, which was first published in 1992, Donna works as Marc Spector’s (one of the personalities) publicist.
Human Statues are the Best Listeners
One of the most touching yet amusing scenes within the first episode of Moon Knight was when we saw Steven Grant sit and visit with his “best friend”… a man who happens to be a street performer working as a silent and motionless human statue. While the scene worked on painting a picture of who Steven is and the dynamics of his life, fans of the comics might have been able to place the character.
The human statue is none other than Bertrand Crawley, a character taken directly from the comics. Crawly is a homeless man who works with Marc Spector as an informant in the comics.
Who’s Been Calling?
A fleeting yet ponent mystery is put on the table when Steven goes through his apartment and finds one of his other personalities, Marc’s, burner phone. A quick browse through the call log shows multiple missed calls from someone named Layla and then one passing name “Duchamp”.
Layla is a character who will be introduced on screen in future episodes, but in the comics, she goes under Marlene Alraune. First appearing in the comics back in 1976, Marlene is a famous archaeologist and Marc Spector’s partner.
Duchamp is another name straight from the comics and refers to Jean-Paul Duchamp, a friend and an ally from the comics. While there is no word of the most popular sidekick from the comic making an appearance in the show, his name appearing on the phone might hint at a surprise reveal.
A few bonus Easter Eggs to keep your eyes on:
If you look closely at Gus’s tank (he is Steven’s goldfish), you will be able to see that almost the entire tank has been decorated with Egyptian artefacts. This is a direct hint at the origin of Marc Spector and his life before being resurrected by the Egyptian God Khonshu.
Another part where Marc’s death and resurrection is alluded to is within the first conversation of the show. Steven is talking to a young girl in the museum and talks about how the Egyptians believed in being judged in the underworld, and the girl looks straight at Steven and asks if it bothered him that he didn’t pass the underworld’s test.
A sad yet powerful little easter egg can be picked up on if you look closely. In his flat, Steven has a bunch of postcards from his mother (who he can never reach on the phone). However, when Steven is seen leaving the museum after work, you can see a rack of postcards that are exactly like the ones Steven believes to be from his mother.
Now that we’ve gone through the Easter Eggs we spotted in the first episode of Moon Knight, we want to know from you, did you spot any we forgot to mention, and what did you think of the series debut? Let us know in the comments below. And if you want to pick up any of the Moon Knight comics for yourself, remember to head over to Critters and Comics or read our post on which Moon Knight comics you should start with here.
