The Ending Of Moon Knight Episode 1 Explained

Contains spoilers for "Moon Knight" Episode 1

Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac) has arrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his Disney+ show introduces the complex and dangerous character in a particularly bold fashion. The first episode of "Moon Knight" focuses on a seemingly ordinary museum gift shop worker called Steven Grant, who becomes the center of a series of increasingly bewildering mysteries. The episode moves between London and a strange village ruled by a man called Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), whose affiliation with the judgement goddess Ammit has apparently given him the power to take away the lives of the unworthy. Yet, the biggest danger seems to be inside Steven's own head, as unexplained blackouts transport him into increasingly dangerous situations, and a creepy disembodied voice barks orders in his ear.

By the end of the episode, it's clear that Steven is also a mercenary called Marc Spector, who in turn can become the mysterious costumed character known as the Moon Knight. However, that's far from the only thing the final scenes reveal. Let's take a closer look at the ending of "Moon Knight" Episode 1. 

Steven Grant is a man tormented by a situation that he doesn't fully understand, and he's been trying to control his tendency to wander around while he's unconscious with a number of DIY tricks. It's clear that this has been going on for a long time, and "Moon Knight" Episode 1 is when the levee finally breaks. 

As the show nears its end, Steven gets to peek behind the veil when he discovers physical evidence of another personality's existence, tucked away in a hidey-hole in his apartment. The cell phone he discovers is a particularly important find, because it introduces viewers to multiple potentially important characters. Layla (May Calamawy) has been trying to reach Marc a whole bunch of times, and might very well turn out to be the MCU version of Marc's romantic interest in the comics, Marlene. 

The other name in the missed calls list has clearly been less interested in Marc's whereabouts, but the name itself is no less interesting. DuChamp is almost certainly "Frenchie" DuChamp, Marc's old mercenary friend and ally in the comics. It remains to be seen whether his name is a simple Easter egg or a tease of the character's onscreen debut. Still, the fact that he exists in the MCU implies that Marc and Frenchie's old mercenary boss — and Moon Knight's arguably greatest enemy – Raoul Bushman is also lurking somewhere. While Marc's formidable nemesis seems like the kind of character the MCU might want to save for "Moon Knight" Season 2 or even a movie, fans will no doubt welcome this low-key confirmation that Mr. Bushman might make an appearance at some point down the line.

In the comics, Moon Knight's various personalities often converse with each other, and Khonshu is fond of making physical appearances in all his bird skull-headed glory. This seems like a pretty wild concept for live action, and indeed, the majority of "Moon Knight" Episode 1 makes it seem that the show intends to keep such interactions at a relatively muted "voices inside the head" level. During the chase scene, F. Murray Abraham's Khonshu establishes itself as a pestering presence that mostly uses its booming voice to express exasperation over Steven's lack of mercenary prowess. However, the end of the episode reveals that "Moon Knight" absolutely intends to go all in with the source material.

While the discovery of Marc's phone finally clues Steven in to the fact that he shares his body with another identity, it also spirals his life further into horror. Even without the scarab-seeking Harrow tracking him down and sending monsters after him, his life is suddenly all about Marc talking to him through mirrors, and Khonshu manifesting in front of him — in a dramatic horror movie fashion during a creepy elevator scene, no less. 

Though these experiences are obviously no fun for Steven, the mirror dialog is a pretty cool visual technique that translates the identities' comic book conversations to the live action medium in an easily digestible and adequately creepy fashion. Meanwhile, Khonshu's ominous, stalking hallway appearance is at complete odds with the almost whimsical way the character's disembodied voice converses with Steven earlier in the episode. This gives the viewer a glimpse of the character's unpredictable, otherworldly nature — as well as the moon god's tendency to ignore the mental well-being of its avatar.

If you were tempted to think that Arthur Harrow is just some small-time cult leader with a penchant for filling his shoes with ground glass and powers of "the undeserving must die" variety, the endgame of the episode reveals that this couldn't be further from the truth. He unexpectedly confronts Steve in the British Museum, and when the rightfully spooked protagonist seeks assistance from a nearby security guard, the man reveals himself as a member of Harrow's cult. 

Even before Harrow whips out his mind games and supernatural hench-beasts, this little moment reveals a whole bunch about his true influence. The cult leader makes clear that while he knew Marc Spector by face, he wasn't aware of Steven's existence or place of employment until now. Yet, the security guard, whom Steven knows and who's clearly been at the museum for a while, is a full member of Team Ammit — complete with the scale tattoo and everything. This means that the guard has been at the museum for reasons that have nothing to do with Steven, which in turn implies one of two things: Either Harrow placed the guard there for an entirely unrelated purpose, or his cult is simply so formidable that he has people pretty much everywhere. 

Considering the museum's vast Egyptology department with oodles of Ammit-themed stuff, the former seems reasonable. Then again, Harrow proceeds to outright state that his plans for the world will cause millions of deaths, so clearly, he's a global threat. While it remains to be seen just how widespread the Cult of Ammit is, this Harrow is definitely a far more powerful and dangerous man than the mad doctor version of the character from the comics.

As Harrow's summoned jackal creature corners Steven in the museum bathroom and starts punching its way through the heavy doors, it's clear that its strength matches its supernatural creepiness. Fortunately, a panicked mirror conversation between the Steven and Marc personalities convinces the former to yield the control of their shared body just as the creature bursts through the doors. 

What follows is yet another scene straight out of a horror movie ... for the jackal creature, that is. Moon Knight completely and utterly manhandles the beast, ignoring its feeble attempts to defend itself and taking it down with a few brutal attacks. This short scene ends the episode with a nice oomph, and while its gives viewers the first good look at the awesome Moon Knight costume, it also offers a sample of something even more interesting — the character's powers. 

Moon Knight's power levels are all over the place in the comics, to put it mildly. Sometimes, he's just a well-trained guy with some gadgets and kevlar. Other times, he commands a vast array of superpowers that allow him to take down the Avengers all by himself. As such, it's interesting to see where on this sliding scale the MCU character lands, and based on the fact that he effortlessly defeats the superpowered jackal creature, it's clear that he's no weakling. There's no telling what he can do when he whips out his weapons and really lets loose, but we have a sneaking suspicion that future episodes of "Moon Knight" will shed plenty of light on the subject.