Who Dane Whitman In Eternals Really Is & Kit Harington's MCU Future

Who Dane Whitman In Eternals Really Is & Kit Harington’s MCU Future

Kit Harrington gained fame after the action-packed world of drama in HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones by playing the character Jon Snow.  He’s prepared to do it again after making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Chloé Zhao’s Eternals. This time, he’ll be playing Dane Whitman, a character who will eventually become the superhero, Black Knight.

In Eternals, Harington plays Dane; he has no other characters yet. His screen time is brief, yet he still manages to be endearing and charismatic. Also, the film’s structure is meant to make spectators wonder what his deal is. But let’s face it, Jon Snow wasn’t hired by Marvel to be an average person. Marvel indeed has a lot in store for him, and we can’t wait to see him do great things!

So if you want to learn more about Harington’s first big movie after Game of Thrones, we’ve got you covered. Although he has a long comic book history, his character has never reached the fame earned by characters like Iron Man or Captain America. Maybe that will change once he joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Kit Harrington: The Upcoming Black Knight

In Eternals, Whitman is only seen in a few scenes. He is first seen working at the Natural History Museum, where it is revealed that he is now dating Eternal Sersi, who was formerly engaged to Richard Madden’s Ikaris for thousands of years. Before the Deviants attack and Sersi, Sprike, and Ikaris free Dane and stop the Eternal, the two hang out briefly with another Eternal Sprite, who appears to be a young girl.  The uncomfortable encounter between Dane and Sersi’s ex is a fun little Game of Thrones reunion between Jon Snow and Robb Stark, and Dane is confused until Sersi explains her existence to him.

Then, when the main problem has been handled, Dane reappears at the end of the film for a quick FaceTime conversation. Sersi gets abducted into the skies by Arishem, the Judge, just as he is ready to inform Sersi about some of his convoluted family histories. They’ll bring it up again when they meet again.

In Eternals, Dane is the main subject of the second credits scene. A voice from off-screen asked him whether he was ready to open the Ebony Blade—the blade at the crux of the convoluted family history he had mentioned yet. Director Chloé Zhao has now stated that the voice is that of Blade, the Vampire Hunter, and Daywalker, voiced here by Mahershala Ali, who will make his live-action debut in the upcoming future. “It was Mr. Blade’s voice, one of my favorite superheroes, “She said to Fandom. 

Dane Whitman in the Marvel Comics 

Dane Whitman in the Marvel Comics

Hank Pym and Iron Man fought Nathan Garett, a criminal scientist who rode a mutated flying horse and carried an energy-powered lance, as Black Knight in the 1960s. Dane Whitman, who has been introduced as an American physicist and Garrett’s estranged nephew, assumed his mantle after his passing.

Dane acquired the title of “Black Knight” and found an ancient sword recognized as the Ebony Blade in his uncle’s castle while wearing a modified version of his uncle’s armor. Years later, Dane permanently joined Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and was featured prominently in Marvel’s Avengers comic. He quickly gained a reputation as the Marvel Universe’s best swordsman.

Black Knight’s role expanded as his bond with the group, and other heroes strengthened. The Avengers’ field commander and the face of their comic book series by the early 1990s were the Black Knight. Black Knight created a love triangle involving Sersi and Crystal and guided the Avengers through multiple adventures. He was featured at the center of several of their most important stories during the decade.

But the Ebony Blade, which contains a blood curse, is the issue that has troubled him for the longest. Dane spends much of his time fighting the evil taint of the blade and avoids murdering since it feeds on his soul every time he spills blood.

Dane Whitman and His Marvel Family

As Sersi mentioned his tense relationship with his uncle, Marvel’s Eternals movie subtly referred to Dane’s comic book predecessors. The sword appears to have entered the scene as a result of whatever transpired when Dane said something to his uncle. The sword is, of course, the Ebony Blade that Dane possessed for the majority of his superhero journey.

The bloodline of Dane Whitman and Nathan Garrett is connected to the Ebony Blade in both the comics and the current MCU. According to the comics, Sir Percy of Scandia, who is the direct ancestor of the character, is the original Black Knight from the 1950s comics and a defender of Camelot. 

Understanding the History of Ebony Blade

The Ebony Blade was created during the Arthurian age from a black meteorite and magically charmed by Merlin. It was eventually revealed that the blade concealed a terrible curse that gradually corrupts the person who carries it, and Merlin kept this a secret from Sir Percy. The Ebony Blade and the Black Knight Eternals mantle were handed down for many centuries after Percy’s death. Sadly, many of Sir Percy’s successors lacked his moral integrity and fell victim to the sword’s evil influence.

One such figure was Garrett, who was a respectable scientist before the curse destroyed him. Marvel Mr. Whiteman strived to surpass his forebears in order to repair the tarnished heritage of the Black Knight and restore the good name of his uncle. Although Dane has made a few mistakes along the road, he has upheld his heroic legacy in Marvel Comics.

Dane’s Appearance in Moon Knight 

Dane’s Appearance in Moon Knight

After Eternals, Dane Whitman nearly appeared in the six-episode Moon Knight series. Still, head writer Jeremy Slater finally chose against it because there wasn’t enough room to introduce and build two potentially significant superheroes. Slater clarified in an interview that if Kit Harington, “I’m upset as a fan because he doesn’t put on a suit and doesn’t kick, and I want to see him go full Black Knight if I ever see him appear.” Well, Slater, all fans do agree with you on this!

Similarly, there was no time for Dane Whitman to suit up during the first two episodes, given how the series had to prioritize worldbuilding to set strong foundations for Moon Knight’s complicated MCU future. Even though Dane Whitman and Steven Grant work for museums, their connection was ultimately dropped because it needed to make more sense. Despite this, Dane and Steven might potentially cross paths in the future due to their shared interest in ancient history.

Kit Harrington’s MCU Future and Possibilities 

The MCU is in the midst of transforming its interpretation of Dane into the sword-wielding superhero he is known to be in comic books, as evidenced by the fact that he has obtained the Ebony Blade. It appears that the events leading up to his Black Knight transformation will be influenced by comic books based on his conversation with Sersi regarding his uncle. 

It wasn’t clear why Eternal’s Dane didn’t get along with his uncle, although it’s likely that it had something to do with the blood curse of the Ebony Blade. The sword now appears to have been transferred from Nathan Garrett of the MCU to Dane, and he may also learn how to use his signature armor from Garrett.

By adding Blade into the character’s MCU arc, Marvel posed some intriguing questions regarding why Dane will become the Black Knight. Dane’s admonition from him suggests that he is aware of the price of taking up the sword, and he might be in an excellent position to discourage Dane from utilizing it because of this. Despite this, it’s possible that some occasions, such as Sersi being arrested, will persuade Dane to forego the repercussions and take up the role of the next Black Knight. In either case, Blade may serve as his trusted partner, and Dane might have a part to play in Blade’s future film if it takes place.

In Short 

The possibilities of Kit Harrington having an MCU future are higher; his appearance in the movie won’t go down the drain. Like any other MCU character, it started slow, and then bang, they have a film of their own. If you have been following the comics, then you know Dane Whitman has a massive role, especially because he is the beholder of the Black Knight. As fans, we’re keeping our fingers crossed, hoping Kit comes into the picture and does great things. But right now, his future as Black Knight and Dane Whitman does sound promising!

Read also:

Abdul Wahab is a Software Engineer by profession and a Tech geek by nature. Having been associated with the tech industry for the last five years, he has covered a wide range of Tech topics and produced well-researched and engaging content. You will mostly find him reviewing tech products and writing blog posts. Binge-watching tech reviews and endlessly reading tech blogs are his favorite hobbies.