Highlights
- Eternals flopped at the box office, becoming a symbol of Marvel's uncertain post-Endgame direction.
- Kit Harrington's Black Knight has no future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe post-Eternals.
- The Black Knight's potential return would require a better storyline to avoid joining Marvel's forgotten characters.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced countless characters occupying various levels of importance. Heavy hitters like Iron Man and Captain America have become among the most immediately recognizable fictional characters in the world. Several tiers below those titans, figures like Yondu and Wong become fan favorites and sell millions of action figures. The cast of Eternals suffered a less impressive fate, which now falls upon Kit Harrington's Black Knight.
Eternals probably flopped at the box office. The film earned $400 million on a $236 million budget, suggesting it fell short of its marketing costs. While the pandemic did it no favors, Eternals quickly became the poster child for Marvel's questionable new frontiers after Endgame. It's a bizarre example of fans not showing up for something new, prompting the studio to distance themselves from the film. Black Knight was one of the last vestiges of its influence.
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Kit Harrington suggests a grim fate for the MCU's Black Knight
Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington portrayed Dane Whitman in Eternals. He's a mild-mannered professor at the Natural History Museum in London. He dates Gemma Chan's Sersi, who provides most of the purpose for his presence in the plot. The final scene depicts him preparing to reveal a family secret before the heroes are whisked away. The film's after-credits sequence depicts Dane's true nature as Mahershala Ali's Blade asks whether he's ready to wield the Ebony Blade and become the Black Knight. In an interview with Screen Rant to promote his new film Blood for Dust, Harrington confirmed that the Black Knight has no notable place in the franchise. He had this to say:
I don't know, though. The honest answer is nothing's in the works at the moment. If they decide to use the character in something, or as a solo thing, I'd be very excited by it. But I don't think it's planned at the moment.
The post-credits scene and general depiction in Eternals tacitly suggested a future for Dane Whitman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After Eternal's questionable performance, Marvel has been reluctant to mention any follow-up projects. The studio is famously risk-averse. Their usual strategy for unsuccessful projects has been unceremonious and all-consuming. When something doesn't work for Marvel, they tend to bury it, cutting off any connective tissue between the flop and future outings. This is likely the fate of Eternals and the Black Knight with it. While it's sad to see a character disappear, the loss isn't what it appears to be.
The MCU's Black Knight Isn't Set Up for Success
Eternals provides a terrible runway from which to launch new MCU characters. The film could have established a new corner of the universe, creating various animated and live-action spinoffs. Its poor reception and mild fan enjoyment will prevent that outcome. To those who don't read comics, Dane Whitman is a forgettable regular guy with an unfulfilled post-credits sequence to his name. He's a less interesting version of Jane Foster from Thor to anyone who doesn't know the lore. It's reminiscent of Andor, which launched with a minor character from a prequel movie as its namesake. That outstanding show overturned expectations through sheer quality, but it also launched off the back of a massive hit. If Andor had been anything other than inarguably excellent, it would have been a massive blow to Star Wars as a brand. A potential Black Knight presents the same threat. A bad version of that show would provide terrible proof that Marvel may be out of ideas, grasping at straws, and unable to recapture its old success.
Another Black Knight Could Help
Dane Whitman is the third Black Knight in Marvel Comics. He inherited the Ebony Blade from his uncle, Nathan Garrett, who received it from an ancient ancestor. The first Black Knight was Sir Percy of Scandia, a medieval knight who served King Arthur. Sir Percy was a celebrated warrior who died fighting Mordred. His stories were sword-and-sorcery adventures from back when Marvel wasn't stuck, bolted, and riveted to one genre. Nathan Garrett revived the character as a supervillain. Iron Man mortally wounded the second Black Knight in his second appearance, but Garrett handed the mantle to Dane Whitman. If Marvel wants to bring the notable superhero Black Knight to the screen, a show or movie about Sir Percy would be the perfect method.
The Black Knight could return, potentially with the appropriate background, in a later MCU phase. In its current state, Black Knight would be one of dozens of characters fans don't really care about fighting for their place in the franchise. Marvel needs fresh blood to stay alive. While no one saw much of Dane Whitman, the Eternals connection may have guaranteed his demise. If fans ever want to see this character reach the screen, they'll need to wait for a better opportunity. The Black Knight might ride again in the future, but this is not the best time. As it turns out, the answer to Blade's question is a firm no.
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