The following contains minor spoilers for Disney+’s Moon Knight.
The third episode of Marvel’s Moon Knight series dropped on Disney+ this week, and as always, fans continue to “assemble” even more theories about the many identities of Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), the mysteries of Khonshu (F. Murray Abraham) and whether villain Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) is actually who he claims to be. While several intriguing theories have already begun circulating on Reddit, there are a few that stand out a bit more than the others. With three episodes of Moon Knight remaining, there is still plenty of time for Harrow to reveal his true identity and intentions, as certain pieces of the puzzle aren’t quite adding up, but one thing is for certain: Arthur Harrow remains one of Moon Knight‘s biggest mysteries.
One theory on Reddit, from user Opposite-Smell-6629, suggests that Ethan Hawke’s character is none other than Mephisto. Some valid points are made to strengthen this theory, like the fact that Harrow is always wearing red and acts as a false prophet, essentially overhauling an entire religion in favor of creating his own, easily-manipulated cult. But, haven’t we been down the Mephisto road before?
Considering Mephisto has been theorized to make an appearance in nearly every Marvel Disney+ series since WandaVision‘s premiere last year, Harrow as Mephisto almost seems too obvious. In a little over a year of launching live-action television series on Disney+, Marvel fans have been convinced that Mephisto would finally be making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, with many hints in WandaVision and Loki having fans convinced they’d be seeing the nefarious villain onscreen. However, Mephisto has yet to make an appearance in live action.
Mephisto first appeared in Marvel Comics The Silver Surfer #3 in 1968 and has had a long and colorful history with notable MCU players, which is why so many Marvel fans have been chomping at the bit to finally see him in live action. Though first introduced as a foe for Johnny Blaze and the Silver Surfer, Mephisto has also served as a villain against Spider-Man and Doctor Strange — and plays a huge role in Wanda Maximoff’s storyline with her children in the House of M comic series. With WandaVision’s introduction of Wanda’s super-powered children Tommy and Billy, fans were convinced Mephisto would be making an appearance at the final curtain of WandaVision, though to the disappointment of many he never showed.
Since WandaVision, theories surrounding Mephisto’s MCU entrance have continued to circulate, as the possibilities of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and now Multiverse — have only increased the chances of more powerful, cosmic beings like Mephisto joining the live-action MCU. Even the Marvel Disney+ series What If…? has strengthened the idea that quite literally, anything is possible in the MCU, and with titles like Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home and now Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness continuing to tease the reveal of darker Marvel villains like Mephisto and even Nightmare, fans are hoping this trend will continue through the remainder of Moon Knight.
Marvel’s latest Disney+ series has been filled with stunning visuals, fascinating Egyptian lore and mythology and some jump-scares reminiscent of some of the finest horror films. With this darker, more mysterious and cosmic turn in Moon Knight, it seems that fans may be grasping at straws hoping for an eleventh-hour reveal of Arthur Harrow as Mephisto as the series’ ultimate villain, though they shouldn’t totally discount the possibility. Mephisto making an appearance in Moon Knight seems highly unlikely, though his appearance in the MCU is a reality that looms closer with every new MCU title.
The first three episodes of Moon Knight are available to stream on Disney+, with new episodes arriving on Wednesdays.
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