Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Moon Knight episode 4! Turn back now if you have not seen the latest episode on Disney Plus!
Moon Knight episode 4 introduced a very strange new character with the appearance of a hippo. If you’re scratching you’re head wondering what exactly is going on, that particular character is Taweret, an Egyptian god.
Towards the end of the episode, Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector / Steven Grant was shot by Ethan Hawke’s villainous Arthur Harrow, and woke up in a psychiatric hospital. For a while, it seemed everything that’d happened in the Disney Plus series was a figment of Spector’s imagination… until he found Steven trapped in a tomb, and both of them found themselves face to face with the mysterious hippo-shaped god (which all had the internet going wild).
But who is Taweret, and what does her appearance mean for the MCU and Moon Knight? We explain all here…
Who is Taweret in Egyptian mythology?
Taweret is the Egyptian god of fertility and childbirth. As in Moon Knight, she is depicted with the appearance of a hippo – but with a lion’s arms (and paws), and a crocodile’s tail and legs. Her epithets include “Lady of Heaven,” “Mistress of Pure Water,” “She Who Removes Water,” and “Mistress of the Horizon,” while her name Taweret translates to “The Great One.”
In keeping with her fearsome look, the god was believed to be fierce – but she was a protector of women and children, and was particularly important to expectant mothers, who wore her amulets to defend themselves and their children against evil. Taweret was believed to help during childbirth, and the annual flooding of the Nile was also linked to her.
Along with life, though, the god has an association with death: she used her powers to help the dead make their way safely to the afterlife through the dangerous mountains of the west.
Who plays Taweret in Moon Knight?
Taweret is played by Antonia Salib in Moon Knight.
“It felt like such a collaborative process, which was brilliant for such a big organization,” she told Variety. “From the moment I read the scenes when I was auditioning, and started working with the director Mohammed Diab and the costume team, the VFX, it really felt like I was given license to create my character, and everyone was on board to work together , which was lovely. “
Has Taweret been in Moon Knight before?
Taweret had a brief cameo in Moon Knight episode 1. In one scene, Steven handles some hippo-shaped toys in the gift shop. Do they look familiar?
Steven also corrects his boss when she calls them hippos, explaining they’re the goddess Taweret – so he’ll certainly recognize the god now that they’ve met.
Has Taweret been in Marvel comics before?
Unlike Khonshu and Ammit, Taweret has never appeared in Marvel comics. That leaves her future in the MCU wide open.
What does Taweret mean for the MCU?
Considering her association with the afterlife – and the fact that Marc and Steven have been shot, and are currently dead – it seems Taweret will likely be helping Marc / Steven through the afterlife, which is presumably the psychiatric hospital they’ve found themselves in.
Whether she’ll assist them with escaping and stopping Harrow’s villainous plans remains to be seen, though.
The god is also part of the Ennead – we’ve already seen some of these deities gathering via their avatars in Moon Knight episode 3, but Taweret was absent. If the Ennead returns in future Moon Knight episodes, we can expect her to potentially be part of the line-up.
At the moment, though, it’s unclear if Taweret will appear in the MCU again – but considering the Marvel universe’s trend of crossovers and cameos, we most likely have not seen the last of Taweret.
If you’re up to speed on Moon Knight, check out our guide to Marvel Phase 4 for everything else the MCU has in store – and if you’re not signed up already, subscribe to Disney Plus here.
