Here’s a Moon Knight theory about Harrow’s Ammit-headed cane and how it could tie into other parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the slow burn of the Disney+ show kicks into gear and for the most part stands on its own in terms of world-building, we couldn’t help but notice this small detail.
Now, Ammit is the crocodile-headed goddess of divine retribution and a devourer of souls. Throughout each episode we’ve seen of Moon Knight, Arthur Harrow and his disciples work against Marc Spector/Steven Grant to bring this deity back, hoping to bring about a mass judgment over humanity. In earlier episodes when Harrow pre-judges, he absorbs the life force of those the scales deem bad (allegedly). It also glows purple and breaks open a purple portal from which he summons jackals to do his bidding.
What’s curious is how this purple energy has been a common thread in this phase of MCU storytelling, and specifically its connection to mythical objects. This could be a way for beings from other realms to cross over. Maybe even gods like Ammit, or say… a certain god butcher we’ll see in Thor: Love and Thunder. Before we get ahead of ourselves let’s catch up on where we’ve seen this purple energy weave its way around the MCU.
Most recently, in Spider-Man: No Way Home when Peter interrupts Dr. Strange’s spell, purple cracks form all around them. Wong did warn them, “That spell travels the dark borders between known and unknown realities, it’s too dangerous” before they got to casting. And we know no amount of magic stucco stopped things from coming through.
In WandaVision, it’s tethered to the Darkhold in Agatha Harkness’ basement in Westview. After her big reveal, we find out she absorbs powers with her purple magic, and she also drains the energy of others, like the coven she once belonged to, in order to attain power. In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Shang’s father Wenwu hears a voice coming from the rings that mimics his wife, asking him to free her from a hell-like prison in Ta-Lo. Eventually, we find out the Dweller in Darkness has tricked him into freeing it and its soul-devouring demons.
All these dark objects act as a conduit for sinister beings to take the life forces or powers of others, whether through beings from beyond or human avatars. In retrospect, Agatha could have totally been an avatar for whoever she was serving (no we won’t say their name). It certainly seems possible that the big bad here could tie into the evils of what’s behind the curtain in this phase of the MCU. And while Oscar Isaac isn’t contracted to return to the MCU, Moon Knight might end up serving a role in what’s to come.
Moon Knight has two more episodes to go, Wednesdays on Disney+.
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