Marvel Just Confirmed Layla's New Superhero Identity In Moon Knight Episode 6
Contains spoilers for "Moon Knight" Episode 6
Fans of "Moon Knight" on Disney+ are now finally able to watch the Episode 6 finale. Throughout the season, we've watched Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), a museum worker in London, discover that he's actually living a double life. Steven finds himself in random places with blood on his hands before meeting Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), a cult leader that worships the Egyptian god Ammit (Saba Mubarak). Steven eventually discovers another version of him that speaks through his reflection — a mercenary named Marc Spector (also played by Isaac) who's seemingly involved in conflict with Harrow, and is also the avatar to the Egyptian god, Khonshu (F. Murray Abraham). Marc, Steven, and Khonshu then set out to Egypt along with Marc's wife Layla (May Calamawy) to stop Harrow from releasing Ammit into the world.
Episodes 4 and 5 showed fans a lot more about not only the Egyptian afterlife, but Marc and Steven's past trauma. It is revealed that Marc is the core personality, and created Steven to manage the trauma of accidentally causing the death of his younger brother, along with the abuse that he suffered afterward at the hands of his mother. After seemingly losing Steven at the end of Episode 5, the beginning of Episode 6 sees Marc go back for him and return to life with the help of another Egyptian god — Tawaret (Antonia Salib).
Tawaret proved to be incredibly important in Marc and Steven's return to life, as well as Layla's new persona in Episode 6. Here's what we know about Layla's superhero identity that Marvel just confirmed.
Layla is the Egyptian superhero Scarlet Scarab
After managing to release Khonshu from imprisonment in stone and refusing to be his new avatar, Layla finds herself needing assistance to escape the Chamber of the Gods when Khonshu goes to confront Ammit directly. Fortunately, Marc and Steven are resurrected and Khonshu is able to give them the abilities of Moon Knight, but Layla then agrees to be the Tawaret's avatar. She proceeds to receive a costume equipped with golden, seemingly indestructible wings along with plenty of new powers that help Marc and Steven ultimately defeat Harrow and imprison Ammit within his body.
During the fight, Layla saves a young girl who asks if she is an Egyptian superhero, to which Layla replies that she is. In fact, Marvel just confirmed that Layla is now the Scarlet Scarab in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character from the Marvel Comics originally held the identity of Dr. Abul Faoul, a nationalist that protected Egypt at all costs during the events of World War II (via Marvel). He encountered Captain America and Bucky Barnes during the war, and would ultimately pass the mantle on to his son, Mehemet. Clearly, the MCU origin story is adapted to feature Layla instead, and she serves as a powerful addition to the roster of heroes.
It is unclear just how much more we will see of Layla's Scarlet Scarab in future MCU projects, or when, but it is sure to be exciting for fans.