Over the years, we have met a lot of great characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That's not surprising, for the franchise has been enriching fans' lives since 2008, with 34 movies and 11 TV shows full of rich and complex characters that it's hard to dislike. And yes, that includes a lot of the villains, because the MCU has produced some of the most famous antagonists in recent cinema history and it's truly impossible to hate them entirely because they are just so good at being bad (looking at you, Loki!).
The franchise has used its ongoing Multiverse Saga to introduce audiences to new characters, both on the silver screen and via the multitude of Disney Plus shows that have come along since. Those new characters include Agatha Harkness, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, and Captain Carter. And they have successfully made themselves at home in the franchise, with fans eagerly awaiting their returns in future titles.
We know that Marvel has big plans for a number of them to appear in the near-future, but fans are hoping to hear when some of the others will return to the screens. It sounds like we can count on that for one character who we didn't mention above - one who ended up becoming a beloved part of one of the MCU Disney Plus shows.
Marvel reportedly has plans for Scarlet Scarab
According to Marvel insider Alex Perez (via their Q&A with fans posted by The Cosmic Circus), Marvel Studios has plans for Scarlet Scarab to return at some point in the future. Though the scooper added that "nothing really concrete has been established for now", speculation has already begun among fans as to when or where the character could pop up again.
Portrayed by May Calamawy, Scarlet Scarab's real name is Layla El-Faouly and she made her MCU debut in Moon Knight. An original interpretation of the Scarlet Scarab character, Layla is the wife of Marc Spector who becomes the avatar for Egyptian goddess Taweret on the show. This version of the character was so popular that Layla was subsequently introduced into the Marvel Comics in 2023, just the year after Moon Knight's release.
Given the popular response to the character, her return seemed inevitable, but even so, it's nice to hear that the studio still has plans for her. While the three year gap since Moon Knight ended is typical with Marvel shows now that they have to link all of the character threads and continuity together across even more titles than ever before, the recent reports of the studio's reshuffling of its creative and release strategies suggested that some cancellations were involved, potentially leaving some characters' fates a little uncertain. It sounds like Layla could have survived that potential culling.
As for where she could appear next; the obvious answer is Moon Knight season 2. Ever since the show's conclusion in 2022, there has been speculation about a potential second season taking place. Though not yet confirmed by Marvel, there have been clues and hints that it may be quietly in the works behind-the-scenes, more specifically a bunch of recent reports that suggest it is happening partially because the studio considers it one of the TV shows worth investing in for a second season. With the studio looking into turning a number of its miniseries into multi-season TV shows, Moon Knight and Hawkeye are reportedly set for second seasons. We just have to wait and see if it actually happens.
Another project that has been rumored to be in development for some time now is the apparent Midnight Sons movie. Set to focus on the more supernatural side of the MCU, fans are speculating that it will include characters like Moon Knight and Scarlet Scarab, as well as some of the monsters introduced in Werewolf by Night, Jennifer Kale from Agatha All Along, and other iconic Marvel characters like Ghost Rider. Marvel themselves have yet to officially confirm it, but it does seem like the MCU is heading towards more supernatural territory, so now would be the time to make it happen.
Wherever Scarlet Scarab shows up again, we'll be happy to see her. May Calamawy did such a wonderful job with the role and we can't wait to see her return. Hopefully she'll be back someday soon!