Moon Knight's Secret Kang the Conqueror Tease Explained
Moon Knight episode 3 contains a subtle Kang the Conqueror Easter egg, revealing his variant Rama-Tut is active in the main MCU timeline.
This article contains spoilers for Moon Knight episode 3.
Moon Knight episode 3 contains a subtle Kang the Conqueror Easter egg, with potentially enormous implications for the MCU's multiverse. Most Marvel films and TV shows are packed with Easter eggs and references, but Moon Knight is unusually self-contained. Still, that doesn't mean the story has no significance in terms of the wider MCU; in reality, the Disney+ TV show has introduced a major new element into the MCU's lore, revealing the true nature of Marvel's ancient Egyptian pantheon of gods.
In the MCU, the Egyptian gods are mystical beings who tend to operate through avatars. They were once heavily involved with every aspect of Egyptian life, but a mysterious "Great Rift" saw humans and gods turn away from one another. The Moon God Khonshu appears to be one major exception, working through his avatar the Moon Knight to exact justice and retribution on Earth even into the present day. Meanwhile, the villainous Arthur Harrow intends to restore the power of another rebellious god, Ammit, who was imprisoned millennia ago for her crimes but possesses the power to threaten the entire world should she return to this plane of existence.
Surprisingly, Moon Knight episode 3 contained an Easter egg that actually referenced the time traveler Kang the Conqueror (via New Rockstars). One of Ammit's thug agents in episode 3 wears a distinctive logo on his back. It perfectly corresponds to the design of Pharaoh Rama-Tut, a variant of Kang who, in the comics, ruled ancient Egypt before being overthrown by the time-traveling Fantastic Four. The logo is easy to miss as most of the shots in which it's visible moved pretty quickly, but New Rockstars claim they've reached out to members of the production team and confirmed it.
It makes sense for Moon Knight to slip in a Rama-Tut reference, given the character is a major part of Marvel's Egyptian lore in the comics. But there's surely more to this Easter egg than just an amusing nod, given variants of Kang the Conqueror are sure to be a major force in the MCU after Loki, which revealed they are destined to engage in a multiversal war that threatens to destroy all time and space. The Rama-Tut Easter egg confirms the identity of one Kang variant, as well as reveals he's already been involved in the prime MCU timeline somehow.
It is, however, perhaps significant that the Rama-Tut logo is worn by a henchman who is dedicated to the service of Ammit - so much so he is willing to die for his belief in the goddess. Given this man's reverence for Ammit, he's unlikely to wear such a prominent logo that isn't somehow connected to her, perhaps meaning Rama-Tut and Ammit are connected somehow. If this is indeed the case, then the entire Egyptian pantheon has a subtle link to the MCU's multiverse, and it's easy to imagine a scenario where Moon Knight himself got drawn into it. That would certainly be an exciting (and unexpected) direction for future seasons of Moon Knight to take.
Moon Knight releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+