[SPOILER ALERT: THIS ARTICLE AND VIDEO DO CONTAIN SPOILERS FROM ETERNALS]
Dane Whitman, played by Kit Harrington, was introduced in Eternals and his legacy as the Black Knight was hinted at throughout the film. With the mention of his estranged uncle, his family crest and the history behind it, and as he tries to tell Sersi about his complicated family at the end of the movie. But the moment that solidified Dane’s inevitable future in the MCU was in the Eternals post credit scene when he reveals and nearly picks up the Ebony Blade before getting interrupted.
WHO IS DANE WHITMAN AKA THE BLACK KNIGHT?
In the comics Dane Whitman is the third Black Knight following in the footsteps of his ancestor the original Black Knight, Sir Percy of Scandia, who served during King Arthur’s reign. The second Black Knight was Dane Whitman’s uncle Nathan Garrett a supervillain who used the name Black Knight. When Garrett was mortally wounded he confessed his sins to Dane and begged his nephew to restore honor to their family legacy. Dane Whitman is later deemed worthy of wielding the Ebony Blade by the ghost of his ancestor, the first Black Knight, Sir Percy.
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Dane Whitman has been a member of multiple incarnations of The Avengers, as well as The Defenders, Ultraforce, Heroes for Hire, and MI 13. Dane Whitman while serving as the Black Knight learns that the Ebony Blade, first created by Sir Percy and Merlin, has a blood curse on it. The Ebony Blade creates a blood lust and drives the wielder slowly insane until they become corrupted by the need for violence, bloodshed and death.
Merlin claimed the curse was brought on by the blood drawn by Sir Percy using the blade, but according to Knull an Eldritch God of darkness, the blade simply draws out the darkness that was already within those who wield the sword. Dane struggles with this bloodlust and the mental illness the Ebony Blade brings on throughout his tenure as the Black Knight.
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Dane Whitman is also connected to Sersi romantically in the comics as he is in the film. Although in the comics Black Knight and Sersi are teammates on the Avengers when they become involved. Sersi also becomes increasingly violent and unstable as she is affected by the Mahd W’yry, like Thena was in Eternals. Black Knight, against his will, is forcefully mentally bonded with Sersi by the other Eternals, including Ikaris, with a process call Gann Josin.
Dane Whitman may not have had a prominent role in Eternals, but the post credit scene sets up an important future for the hero in the MCU. A few things stand out about the scene and what it sets up for Whitman. Notably Dane is already in possession of the Ebony Blade, he seems to know the dangers of the sword based on his nervousness, hesitation, the inscription inside the crate, and the whispers coming from the sword itself. It also doesn’t seem as though he has taken up the sword, yet. However, after Sersi is taken by Arishem Dane very nearly does picks up the Ebony Blade until he is stopped by a voice.
WHERE BLACK KNIGHT COULD SHOW UP IN THE MCU NEXT
Chloe Zhao herself has confirmed that the voice belonged to none other than Mahershala Ali’s Blade. Blade has officially been introduced into the MCU and he is now directly tied to Dane Whitman the Black Knight. In the comics both Black Knight and Blade are a part of MI-13, a team which they were a part of at the same time, along with tons of other UK heroes. Now, this could point to Black Knight making an appearance in the upcoming Blade film. But, there have also been rumors of Blade showing up in Moon Knight which could mean Black Knight possibly appearing as well.
Hopefully this new magical corner of the MCU gets further explored possibly even with a Black Knight solo project be it a film or Disney Plus series. A solo project could dive into the history of the Black Knight and the Marvel Arthurian lore. There is also a lot of history and magic surrounding the Ebony Blade that could be further explored.
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This could even be the start of an MCU adaptation of Midnight Sons. Although Black Knight was never a part of the Midnight Sons in the comics, a group of supernatural heroes who fight against evil, he seems like a perfect fit for an MCU adaptation of the team. In the comics the Midnight Sons include not only Blade, but other supernatural heroes like Ghost Riders Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch, Morbius, and many others. The introduction of Dane Whitman, the Ebony Blade, and now Blade himself is beyond exciting for Marvel fans and opens the doors to a ton of exciting new potential projects.
 Are you excited about the introduction of Black Knight and the Ebony Blade? What do you think about Eternals introducing Blade into the MCU? Where do you think we could see Dane Whitman appear next? Leave your thoughts in the comment below or on our social media and check back with The Illuminerdi for more MCU.
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