Moon Knight Layla Actor Wanted More Of Scarlet Scarab’s Powers

May Calamawy, who plays Layla in Moon Knight, admits she wanted all of the powers of her Marvel Comics superhero alter-ego, Scarlet Scarab.

Warning: Spoilers for Moon Knight Episode 6

Moon Knight’s May Calamawy says that she wanted more of the comic book abilities of her character’s superhero alter-ego, Scarlet Scarab. Calamawy appeared in the new Marvel series as Layla El-Faouly, an adventurer and the wife of Marc Spector who helps to uncover the secrets of the Egyptian gods. In the Moon Knight finale, Layla becomes the avatar of the goddess Tawaret and gains superhero abilities, which come in handy in the battle against Ethan Hawke’s Arthur Harrow. Complete with a winged, pharaoh-like costume, Layla became the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first Egyptian superhero.

Following the exciting finale, Marvel confirmed online that Layla had become the MCU’s version of Scarlet Scarab. In comics, the Scarlet Scarab identity was held by two male characters: Abdul Faoul, and Mehemet Faoul. The Egyptian hero had several powers, including super-strength, flight, mystical energy blasts, and the ability to sap power from others. While the similarities between the comic book character and Layla’s new live-action identity are tentative, she does share the character’s archaeological background and Egyptian iconography.

In an interview with Inverse, Calamawy discusses her super-powered transformation and the potential future of Scarlet Scarab. The actor admits she wanted more of the hero’s abilities from the comics, referring specifically to the ability to “zap strength from different people” and “take their powers.” Teasing the potential for further adventures, Calamawy posits that the showrunners kept the character’s full power-set “a mystery” that could “be expanded on” in the future. Check out the star’s full quote below:

It’s funny because I wanted all his powers. He can zap strength from the different people he’s fighting and take their powers. He can fly. I was like, “Guys, I want all of this!” I think they purposely wanted to keep Scarlet Scarab’s powers a mystery so they could be expanded on.

With her memorable introduction in the Moon Knight finale, the MCU has yet another strong superhero to play with in Phase 4. While the possibilities are endless, Calamaway has also recently admitted that no immediate plans have been set for her return. Either way, Moon Knight has been positively accepted as an addition to the ever-growing universe, with more episodes being called for by fans. While Moon Knight season 2 is not yet confirmed, Spector and his lunar-based strength are rumored to return in the upcoming Werewolf By Night project, which is heading to Disney+ in the near future.

Despite the differences from the comic book character, Scarlet Scarab made a big impact on Moon Knight’s final battle, and the potential for further adventures with the Egyptian hero is high. Perhaps a further appearance from Layla could see her use those golden wings to take flight, or uncover her strength-sapping powers in the battle against evil. Either way, the MCU has its Egyptian superhero, and she’s ready to stay. Moon Knight season 1 is streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.