The idea to include certain easter eggs in Moon Knight was inspired by Bob's Burgers. Disney+'s latest MCU series recently wrapped up its 6-episode arc, which starred Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Stephen Grant. The show follows Isaac's character, who Egyptian god Khonshu chooses as his avatar to stop Arthur Harrow from resurrecting Egyptian Goddess Ammit. Moon Knight didn't contain very many connections to other MCU shows and movies, but like any Marvel Studios project, the series of course included easter eggs.
One of the most unique examples came in the form of QR codes that viewers could scan to read digital Moon Knight comic books. The first QR code can be spotted on a wall in the museum Stephen works at, which, when scanned, allows fans to read "Werewolf by Night #32," Moon Knight's first appearance. The next QR code was found in episode 2, "Summon the Suit," directing audiences to "Werewolf by Night #33," followed by a third QR code in Episode 5. This QR code links to "Moon Knight #1" and is around the 12-minute mark as Steven looks through Marc's memories in the hospital. Finally, Moon Knight's post-credits scene includes yet another QR code on a poster when Jake Lockley wheels Arthur out of the hospital. Interestingly, this seems to hint at a future MCU storyline, linking to Moon Knight Annual #1, where that titular character battles Kang the Conqueror.
The QR codes were a clever way to get audiences more familiar with Marvel comics, but the idea has a bit of an odd inspiration. In an interview with Variety, executive producer Grant Curtis revealed that his love for Bob's Burgers was partly responsible for the easter eggs. Curtis was a fan of Bob's Burgers running gags in the animated series' opening and closing credits, as well as Bob's Burger of the Day. This was also inspired by the House of Terror museum in Budapest, which allows travelers to scan QR codes to learn more about the exhibits. The producer explains this was done to inform audiences about the new Marvel character for those that may be unfamiliar with the hero. Curtis' full explanation can be read below:
I think it was greeted with a lot of positivity, you know, in terms of the numbers that we’re seeing. And as long as you can do it organically, I think it’s a pretty cool way to extend the engagement and to go from screen to page and vice versa. As the guy who enjoys the engagement that ‘Bob’s Burgers’ gives me, I think it can be a very interesting aspect for the MCU to explore in the future.
While the free comics usually linked to events happening in the show, Curtis mentioned that fans shouldn't look for a hidden meaning to Kang appearing in the series finale's comic. Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror is set to be the villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantamania after being introduced in Loki, but it's unknown where Marc Spector will show up next. Despite Moon Knight season 1's cliffhanger introducing Marc's third personality, a second season has not yet been confirmed. Loki season 2 was confirmed at the end of season 1, but Marvel could have been waiting to see how well Moon Knight would perform before continuing his story.
There's no denying Moon Knight is a lesser-known hero compared to other characters who've gotten their own shows. Because of this, including QR codes to let fans read free comics was a great way to engage with audiences while educating them on the character's history. Marvel wanting fans to learn about Moon Knight also supports the idea that the character will indeed return, whether that be in the form of Moon Knight season 2 or an appearance in an MCU movie. The QR codes were a clever marketing strategy, but it's funny that the idea was inspired by such a drastically different show like Bob's Burgers.
Source: Variety
