Moon Knight: Who Is Duchamp? Marvel Comics Link & Origin
Warning: SPOILERS for Moon Knight episode 1!
One of Marc Spector's closest allies from the comics is teased in Moon Knight episode 1, as the missed call from Duchamp sets up Frenchie. The majority of "The Goldfish Problem" shows the Steven Grant personality in control, but it is through the British gift shop employee that Marvel delivers teases about Marc Spector's life. Moon Knight episode 1's biggest tease of his past comes after Steven discovers Marc's cell phone and begins to search through it for information about what is really going on.
Steven finds Marc Spector's phone in a secret compartment in their apartment. Once he gets the phone turned back on and working, he quickly sees that he has dozens of missed calls from someone named Layla. May Calamawy's Moon Knight character doesn't physically appear in the first episode, but she will be featured throughout the rest of season 1. It is part of Marvel's effort to use a minimal amount of characters in Moon Knight episode 1, as Steven/Marc, Layla, and the villainous Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) are the only main cast members included.
However, Marc Spector's missed calls also include one from his contact Duchamp. This is a reference to Jean-Paul Duchamp, better known to Marvel Comics readers as "Frenchie." JP Duchamp is a close friend of Marc Spector, as they worked together during their days as mercenaries. It was during one of their missions that Duchamp and Spector disagreed with the violent methods and defied their orders. Once Frenchie learned that Marc survived and became Moon Knight, he became his pilot and accompanied him on many other missions.
Frenchie helped Moon Knight fight many Marvel villains over the years in the comics, including Flag-Smasher and Midnight Man. He even played a role in Moon Knight being hired to capture Werewolf by Night. He also lost his ability to walk after an attack by Marc's brother and had a strong connection to the Knights Templar. The comics also revealed that Frenchie was a homosexual later on and that he secretly was in love with Marc. Since Moon Knight episode 1 confirms that Duchamp exists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has a past with Marc Spector, he could be involved in some of these storylines.
Despite the Frenchie Easter egg in Moon Knight episode 1, it is not confirmed that he's involved with the Disney+ series. However, that doesn't change the importance of this reference for Marvel fans. Even if Duchamp doesn't appear in later Moon Knight episodes, the established connection between them means Marvel Studios can use him in other projects that utilize Oscar Isaac's superhero.
Moon Knight releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.