"Gods and Monsters" is the sixth episode and series finale of the American television miniseries Moon Knight, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Moon Knight. It follows Marc Spector, Steven Grant, and Layla El-Faouly as they help Khonshu defeat Ammit and her avatar Arthur Harrow. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. Its teleplay was written by head writer Jeremy Slater, Peter Cameron, and Sabir Pirzada, and the story was written by Danielle Iman and Slater. The episode was directed by Mohamed Diab.
Oscar Isaac stars as Marc Spector / Moon Knight, Steven Grant / Mr. Knight, and Jake Lockley, alongside May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly / Scarlet Scarab, Karim El-Hakim and F. Murray Abraham as Khonshu, Sofia Danu and Saba Mubarak as Ammit, and Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow. Khalid Abdalla, Ann Akinjirin, and Antonia Salib also star. Diab joined the series by October 2020 to direct four episodes. Filming took place at Origo Studios in Budapest, with location filming occurring in Jordan.
"Gods and Monsters" was released on Disney+ on May 4, 2022. Critics praised the performances and action sequences, ultimately deeming it a satisfying conclusion.
Plot
Layla El-Faouly receives a message from Taweret telling her to find and release Khonshu so he can revive Marc Spector. Arthur Harrow uses Ammit's power to slaughter the other Egyptian gods' avatars before releasing Ammit, who chooses him to be her new avatar, while El-Faouly finds Khonshu's ushabti and releases him. El-Faouly refuses to become Khonshu's new avatar, so he confronts Ammit alone, who overpowers him. Meanwhile, Spector refuses to stay in the Field of Reeds alone, and chooses to return to the Duat and rescue Steven Grant instead. Spector tells Grant that Grant saved and enabled him to survive his hardships, and their connection frees Grant from the entrapment of the Duat. With Taweret's help, they escape through the Gates of Osiris and awaken back in their body. Khonshu senses their return and bonds with them again, healing their body and restoring their powers. El-Faouly discovers that Ammit can be defeated if several gods' avatars bind her into a mortal body, so she temporarily bonds with Taweret. Harrow, Ammit, and their followers begin judging everyone in Cairo, until Spector, Grant, El-Faouly, and Khonshu arrive to engage them in battle.
Harrow overpowers Spector and Grant, and almost kills them until they both black out and reawaken to find that they have somehow brutally defeated him. Spector and El-Faouly are able to seal Ammit into Harrow's body, imprisoning her again. Khonshu urges Spector to execute Harrow and Ammit, but Spector refuses and orders Khonshu to release him and Grant from their service. Spector and Grant find themselves in the imaginary "psychiatric hospital" again, but reject it and choose to continue their new life together.
In a mid-credits scene, a crippled Harrow is abducted from a psychiatric hospital and executed by Jake Lockley, Spector and Grant's third alter who is still bonded with Khonshu.
Production
Development
In August 2019, Marvel Studios announced a series based on Moon Knight was being developed for the streaming service Disney+. That November, Jeremy Slater was hired to serve as the head writer of the series, while Mohamed Diab was set to direct four episodes by October 2020, including the sixth episode. Slater and Diab executive produce alongside Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, and Grant Curtis and star Oscar Isaac. The sixth episode, titled "Gods and Monsters", had the teleplay written by Slater, Peter Cameron, and Sabir Pirzada, and the story was written by Danielle Iman and Slater, and was released on Disney+ on May 4, 2022.