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Spoilers follow for the Disney+ seriesMoon Knight.
Welcome a new superhero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Scarlet Scarab.
How does it feel to be a superhero?Thats a crazy question, because there is no answer.
I always wanted to be a superhero, but I guess its not going to happen for me.
Its cool, though.
And I was like, Why?
And shes like, Oh, you dont know?
And I was like, No, I dont.
And she was like, I guess Im not supposed to tell you, but youre a superhero.
And I was like, What?!
Then today when it came out, I was really excited.
That has been what has fueled my excitement most about it.
You mentioned that the atmosphere on set was very collaborative.
I really pushed for Layla to be this modern woman.
Its okay if she kisses the guy onscreen, you know?
And I said, But who?
Are you upset at the character, or are you upset at me, May?
Because Im serving a story right now.
Im from there, I grew up there my whole life, and then I moved to the States.
And no one has to judge anyone.
We all can take space.
So you learn youre going to be Scarlet Scarab.
You get the full-body scan for the costume.
I remember trying it on when it was still kind of a cloth, and then moving from there.
The detail is crazy, on the leggings and on the neckpiece.
Did the costumes golden metal wings have a physical component, or are they VFX?Theyre VFX.
I have to hold the swords, and it took a while.
Im on a rock, and Im trying to do this for you!
Its all part of the fun, and when you see it with the VFX, its awesome.
And I wanted to fly that was a thing I was fighting for.
I was like, Dont give her wings and not allow her to fly!
Infourth episode The Tomb,Layla says, I dont need protection.
What I need is honesty.
That feels like such a defining moment for her character.
There is a lot of pain under that.
That was something I spoke a lot about with Oscar.
When you’re free to sit in that, it almost just takes you.
In the finale, you have a scene where you get to play two characters.
Youre playing Layla, and youre playing Layla as possessed by the hippopotamus goddess Tawaret.
And I was like, Wait, what?
That wasnt anything I had prepared for.
It was one of those moments that broke me in a good way.
I didnt have any of that.
I was like, Okay!
Antonia came to my trailer and we stood in front of a mirror and I said, Do you.
Keep doing what you would do, and I just started to mimic her movements.
Hes like a mad scientist.
Hes not like, Yeah, this storyboard, and were following it.
Maybe he is in other productions, but not here.
Hes like, Yeah, this is a great idea.
And after, I was like,Oh my God.
That was incredible, and I surprised myself.
But I felt really free in that moment, and that is a gift as an actor.
I dont know why I felt called to it, and I just took one.
But no, its just a marshmallow.
As a brown person, I was like,Where else can I find representation in this series?
Is this Turkish delight?
Get me Turkish delight!
In the finale, we dont really get an ending for Layla.
What do you imagine Layla is doing after?
Does she stay an avatar?
However, with that said, I feel like she must enjoy it to some degree, right?
Shes like,I can do what I love to do, even better.
Thats more of what Id like to see.
She is serving Moon Knights story, but theres also her own inner journey.
No one has come to me and said, Hey, were exploring.
I wouldnt say no.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
