Eternals: Kit Harrington is still waiting for the call to be Black Knight

Kit Harrington, who played the boyfriend of Sersi, Dane Whitman, destined to become the Black Knight has a less satisfying and dry response to his character’s MCU future. 

As per The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on the BBC (via Digital Spy), there is a surprising development (or lack thereof) surrounding the future of the character Dane Whitman within the MCU.

Zoe Ball of the BBC program conducted a recent interview with Kit Harrington, who portrayed Whitman in Eternals, Harrington responded with quite a tepid response when asked about his future with Marvel.

“No, not that I know of…” Harrington replied when asked about his return to the MCU. “It sounds like a very political answer but, I mean it’s exciting for me because the last film, as anyone who has seen it, kind of sets an idea up that I might go further.”

Will Kit Harington return as Black Knight in the MCU?

What Harrington is referring to is the post-credits scene where he returned to the National History Museum in London, England, and opened the case that contained a mysterious sword – the Ebony Blade – that belonged to his ancestors.

Though just before he bequeathed the sword, he is pulled away by a stoic yet familiar voice from off-screen: Eric Brooks/Blade (Mahershala Ali).

The scene seemed to suggest Marvel had bigger plans in place for Whitman, but it sounds like Harrington is unsure of what exactly is planned for his character. That said, the Game of Thrones star does seem optimistic about returning.

"“So, I’m hoping… But I think wherever you’re answering questions about these things, people point at you and say ‘liar’ as if you know more than other people.”"

Despite how uninsightful and loaded that answer may be, Harrington does have a point. In the age of clickbait, fake news, and disinformation, it is really hard to read between the (blurred) lines of fact or fiction, especially when it comes to exclusives.

One of the more famous examples is when there was constant news circling round of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire being in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which neither Sony nor Marvel commented on and Garfield deflected until release. The other is when Tatiana Maslany debunked (and later) confirmed she was the lead on the She-Hulk show.

Black Knight comic book origins

Within the MCU, Chloé Zhao wasted no time in sharing a bit of the similarity between Harrington’s live-action counterpart as portrayed in Eternals and the character represented in the comic books. Like Dane Whitman in the film and in the comics, he had a relationship with Sersi of the Eternals which conflicted with Ikaris. He is also the descendant of a long line of warriors who possess the Ebony Blade and the “Black Knight” was a rite of passage.

Black Knight is created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema; he first appeared in The Avengers Vol. 1 No.47, in which he became a recurring character following his introduction. Black Knight appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes Vol. 1 No.17.

He also made appearances in the Marvel UK comic series, Hulk Weekly, showing up in 63 issues in a black and white feature by writer Steve Parkhouse with art by Paul Neary and John Stokes. He came forth in a four-issue miniseries in 1990 from writers Rob and Dann Thomas and artists Tony DeZuniga and Rich Buckler.

Not much was done with the character between the short-lived Ultraverse imprint that Malibu Comics banked-rolled in the past and after the turn of the new millennium following a 90s landing in Heroes for Hire, he showed up in titles of Excalibur, MI 13, and Euroforce.

Unlike his big-screen counterpart, Whitman was a United States citizen with ancestry dating back to medieval England as opposed to a British resident professor and historian. Black Knight is an excellent swordsman with great hand-to-hand combat, a capable strategist, tactician, and horse rider with some of his physical attributes enhanced by the blade and mystic senses. Whitman also has a scientific background in genetics and mechanical engineering.

What are your thoughts on Kit Harrington not yet receiving the call for future appearances as Black Knight in the MCU? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!