Summary
TheMarvel Cinematic Universeintroduced 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 ofEternalssuffered a less impressive fate, which now falls upon Kit Harrington’s Black Knight.
Eternalsprobably floppedat 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,Eternalsquickly became the poster child forMarvel’s questionable new frontiersafterEndgame. 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.
Kit Harrington suggests a grim fate for the MCU’s Black Knight
Game of Thronesstar Kit HarringtonportrayedDane WhitmaninEternals. 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 afamily secretbefore the heroes are whisked away. The film’s after-credits sequence depicts Dane’s true nature asMahershala Ali’s Bladeasks whether he’s ready to wield the Ebony Blade and become the Black Knight. In aninterview with Screen Rantto promote his new filmBlood for Dust, Harrington confirmed that the Black Knight hasno 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 inEternalstacitly suggested a future for Dane Whitman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. AfterEternal’s questionable performance, Marvel has beenreluctant to mention any follow-up projects. The studio is famously risk-averse. Their usual strategy forunsuccessful projectshas been unceremonious and all-consuming. When something doesn’t work for Marvel, they tend tobury it, cutting off any connective tissue between the flop and future outings. This is likely thefate ofEternalsand the Black Knightwith 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
Eternalsprovides 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. Itspoor receptionand mild fan enjoyment will prevent that outcome. Tothose who don’t read comics,Dane Whitman is a forgettable regular guywith an unfulfilled post-credits sequence to his name. He’s aless interesting version of Jane FosterfromThorto anyone who doesn’t know the lore. It’sreminiscent ofAndor, 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. IfAndorhad been anything otherthan inarguably excellent, it would have been a massive blow toStar Warsas a brand. A potentialBlack Knightpresents 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 thethird 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 KnightwasSir Percy of Scandia, a medieval knight who served King Arthur. Sir Percy was a celebrated warrior whodied 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, butGarrett handed the mantle to Dane Whitman. If Marvel wants to bringthe notable superhero Black Knightto 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,theEternalsconnection 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.
