“It was just a demonstration of how important it is to go in and not overthink the situation.”
By the conclusion of Moon Knight, Mr. Knight and the title character are no longer the only avatars on the program. Layla El-Faouly reluctantly accepts to become Taweret’s temporary Avatar when she realizes there is no other way to defeat Ammit. Scarlet Scarab is the first Egyptian-based superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The hippo god is ecstatic, physically yelling “LAAAAYLA!” for everyone to hear, although Layla is less than enthusiastic about this (and has a list of alternatives for Taweret as well). As the Chamber of the Gods begins to crumble around her as a result of Arthur Harrow’s attack, Taweret wants to discuss the ideal outfit. Similarly to how Khonshu previously inhabited Marc to talk, Taweret now inhabits Layla and strives to coordinate her motions with those of the delighted hippo. Antonia Salib, who provides the voice and motion capture for Taweret, was originally slated to perform this sequence in the episode; however, director Mohamed Diab felt at the last minute that May Calamawy would be a better choice.
“Mohamed approached me 30 minutes before shooting began and said, ‘I want you to portray Taweret,'” recalled Calamawy. “And I said, ‘What?'” I was required to stand next to Antonia in front of a mirror while she choreographed me into the moment. Since I would have overprepared if he had informed me days in advance, it’s really better that it occurred that way. “It was just a demonstration of how important it is to go in and not overthink the situation. I understood it was a strange experience after seeing Oscar interacting with Khonshu in that performance. And one of the gods stated as much. It’s a strange feeling, and it might be uncomfortable, but you get used to it. And Layla had just through so much, so I pondered how to depict this event in a dramatic manner. Because she is also an individual who is rejecting it. This person is experiencing what it means to be an avatar for the first time; they are not used to the procedure.”
Salib was willing to assist, assisting Calamawy throughout the whole performance. “She was desperately attempting to imitate what I was doing, so I played out the incident as Taweret. She tried her very best to bring my performance to life by imitating my motions and tone of voice. Then, as we were recording these sequences, she wore an earpiece while I fed her lines via the microphone. Then we just removed all of it, allowing her to pursue her own interests. It was a combination of both of our performances, and it was fantastic.”
In addition, Layla receives a new outfit complete with wings.
Calamawy exclaims, “It’s amusing because the trousers were wonderful.” “There was a guy called Wilbur who hand-painted all of the motifs on the trousers and collar, which I adored. The upper portion maintains you upright, so you are already walking in this manner. And it feels rather royal and majestic. Simply said, it’s quite awesome. It’s nice when you forget something and then glance down and realize, “Whoa.””
All episodes of Moon Knight from Marvel Studios are now available exclusively on Disney+.
