In addition to introducing Marc Spector and Steven Grant to the MCU loyal fans, Moon Knight brought new, original characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe who became fan favorites immediately. A very good example of this is Layla El-Faouly, who debuted in the second episode of the show.
Portrayed by May Calamawy, Layla starts as Marc's wife. However, she becomes much more as the series moves forward. Since she's an original character, there are many things to say about Layla El-Faouly that aren't in the comics, especially about her creation. Most details about Layla make her a very interesting character who definitely deserves more time in the MCU.
8 She's An Original Creation Based On Two Different Marvel Characters
Unlike most characters in the MCU, Layla doesn't appear in the Marvel Comics. Instead, she's an original creation based on two different Marvel characters. First, Marlene Alraune, the daughter of an important archeologist and Marc Spector's wife in the comics. This explains why she's Moon Knight's love interest.
Additionally, her last name and the fact that she becomes a superhero point to the fact that she's also based on Scarlet Scarab. Scarlet Scarab is a superhero created in 1977 who gains superhuman strength and reflexes, the ability to fly, and mystical energy powers thanks to a scarab-shaped relic. According to Mohamed Diab, Moon Knight's director, this connection wasn't planned, but the official Marvel website confirmed it, so it became canon.
7 The Character Aims To Break Harmful Stereotypes
Since Layla was primarily based on Marlene Alraune, her character wasn't Egyptian in the beginning. However, it was always important for the creators to ensure proper racial representation on the show. Mohamed Diab told Elle that at first, she was changed into half-Egyptian, but they pushed harder for her to be an Egyptian character, and Marvel loved the idea.
Logically, it was also necessary to have an Egyptian actress portray this role, which is why Egyptian-Palestinian actress May Calamawy was immediately considered for the role. With this in mind, they also considered it necessary to avoid Hollywood oriental stereotypes, such as middle-eastern women always being submissive. This explains why Layla has so much agency during the series. From the very beginning, she's a fierce woman who fends for herself and even becomes a superhero by the end of the show.
6 Her Father May Be The Original Scarlet Scarab
Since Layla is an amalgam of Marlene Alraune and the original Scarlet Scarab, it's only logical that her backstory is a mix too. Layla's father, Doctor Abdallah El-Faouly obviously takes the role of Peter Alraune in the Moon Knight comics. He's an archeologist murdered by Raoul Bushman the same day Marc becomes Khonshu's avatar. However, his name is clearly inspired by Abdul Faoul, the original Scarlet Scarab.
When Layla and Taweret met, the Goddess tells the woman that her father would be proud of her, as if she knew him personally, which prompted fans to believe Abdalla El-Faouly was connected to the Gods already. This combined with the archeologist's name has led many fans to believe Abdallah El-Faouly himself had powers, probably those of the Scarlet Scarab. However, since Moon Knight probably won't have a second season, this question may never receive an answer.
5 She Wasn't Supposed To Met Harrow
In the original script, Layla didn't share the screen with Arthur Harrow (played by Ethan Hawke) in any episode. Calamawy told The Hollywood Reporter that she told him that "they needed a scene together." Hawke arrived the next day with a scene planned for their characters.
According to Calamawy, Hawke was very welcoming with her suggestions for the scene, which gave her the confidence to add more to her character. Given that Layla and Harrow's confrontation in the fourth episode of Moon Knight is truly dramatic, the series would've lacked a lot if they hadn't shared a scene.
4 Some Fans Thought She Would Be Layla Miller
Since Layla is an original character, some fans thought she would be a new iteration of House of M's Layla Miller, a girl with the ability to help heroes remember the time before Scarlet Witch altered reality. Given that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness also takes inspiration from House of M, the audience believed an X-Men crossover was on its way.
However, it all turned out to be a coincidence. Layla's name isn't a reference to Layla Miller. In fact, according to the head writer and executive producer for Moon Knight, Jeremy Slater, she was originally named Zayna Faoul. Since "Layla" means "night" or "dark" in Arabic, they may have chosen this name so it would fit the theme of the show.
3 Her Suit Isn't Based On Taweret
In the last episode of Moon Knight, Layla El-Faouly bonds with the Egyptian Goddess Taweret in order to help Marc Spector and Steven Grant against Harrow. After accepting to become her temporal avatar, Taweret grants her new abilities, such as flight, super strength, and enhanced reflexes. Additionally, the Goddess gives Layla a super-suit to fit her new persona.
The episode features an epic reveal where Layla wears an Egyptian goddess outfit with golden bracelets like Wonder Woman. Additionally, she has gold wings popping off her back that help her fly and shield herself. Although Layla is Taweret's avatar, this costume is completely based on Isis, a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion.
2 She Took Echo's Place On The Series
In May 2022, Jeremy Slater revealed to the House of R podcast that Moon Knight almost featured Maya Lopez, aka Echo. In fact, she was supposed to be Marc's love interest instead of Layla. This wasn't a random decision. Moon Knight and Echo actually date in Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev's Moon Knight run.
However, when considering how to include the character in Moon Knight, they realized she didn't really fit on the show. Instead, Marvel Studios transferred her to Hawkeye. Now that Disney is developing a series focused on Echo, maybe there will be another chance to see her meet the Moon Knight characters on the small screen.
1 She's The First Middle-Eastern Heroine In The MCU
As of May 2022, Layla El-Faouly, aka Scarlet Scarab is the only middle-eastern heroine in the MCU. Given the lack of positive middle-eastern racial representation in Hollywood, this isn't something to be taken lightly. Both Mohamed Diab and May Calamawy stated that they wanted to make sure Layla served as an inspiration for girls like her. In fact, the series includes an emotional moment when a girl asks her if she's an Egyptian superhero, to which Layla proudly answers, "Yes."
There's still a long way to go when it comes to proper racial representation, but Marvel Studios is on its way. After all, Kamala Khan is scheduled to debut in Ms. Marvel on June 8, 2022. As for Layla's Scarlet Scarab, fans can only hope Moon Knight isn't the last time they'll see her.