Doctor Strange 2: Why Black Knight Should Be In Multiverse Of Madness

Black Knight is joining the MCU in Marvel’s Eternals, but he should also appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. At Disney’s D23 Expo, Marvel Studios confirmed that Game of Thrones star Kit Harington has joined the cast of Eternals as Dane Whitman aka Black Knight, one of the only characters in the Eternals film who isn't an Eternal.

So far, Harington’s Black Knight is the only human character confirmed to have a role in the movie. In the comic books, Dane Whitman is the modern incarnation of the legendary Black Knight from Arthurian times and the current owner of one of the most powerful weapons in the Marvel Universe, the Ebony Blade. Black Knight also has reputation for being a key member of the Avengers team, which means he could ultimately join the Avengers 5 roster down the line.

Where Harington’s Black Knight goes after Eternals is unclear, but one possibility is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which hits theaters in 2021. Directed by Scott Derrickson, the sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange will unite the Sorcerer Supreme with Scarlet Witch, fresh off of her role in the Disney+ series, WandaVision. It remains to be seen if Black Knight, a character with strong connections to the magical side of Marvel Comics, will play a part in their adventure.

How Black Knight Connects To The Multiverse

Black Knight is no stranger to alternate realities, which is a concept that will be explored in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Black Knight has been on numerous adventures in different time periods, alternate realities, and even places that exist outside of the Marvel Universe. Interestingly, most of his connections to the multiverse originate from his relationship to one of the Eternals.

What is perhaps Black Knight’s most significant story arc in the comics occurred in the pages of The Avengers. During the early 1990s, Dane Whitman was involved in a complicated love triangle with Crystal of the Inhumans and Sersi of the Eternals. When Sersi was infected with an Eternal disease that affected her mental stability, the Eternals psychically bonded Sersi with the object of her affection, Black Knight, in order to keep her from losing control. But in an alternate reality, the bond shattered Dane’s psyche. This version of Black Knight became the villain Proctor, who traveled across multiple realities, murdering every version of Sersi he could find. After Black Knight and the Avengers defeated Proctor, it was decided that the only way to repair Sersi’s fractured mind was for her to leave this dimension. Together, Black Knight and Sersi left the universe.

So far, there’s been no confirmation that Black Knight’s comic book relationship with Sersi will be featured in Eternals, even though she, too, will appear in the movie. If the MCU’s plans for the Black Knight and Sersi has anything to do with their shared comic book history, their story could easily continue into Doctor Strange 2.

Black Knight's Ebony Blade Is Magical

The Ebony Blade is the cornerstone of Black Knight’s character. The Ebony Blade has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries, beginning with the Arthurian Black Knight, Sir Percy of Scandia. Forged from a meteor called the Starstone and enchanted by the sorcerer Merlin, the Ebony Blade is a magical sword capable of cutting through almost any material. His deep mystical connection to the sword has even made it possible for him to follow it when it was transported through time. The Ebony Blade has also caused Black Knight’s soul to drift through the time stream to possess the body of an ancestor, allowing him to reunite with the Ebony Blade at a previous point in its timeline.

Given all its magical properties, it’s exactly the sort of weapon that belongs in the world of Doctor Strange. In fact, it was originally going to appear as an Easter egg in the background of Doctor Strange but was cut from the scene, perhaps because Marvel Studios had much bigger plans for the sword. Eternals can introduce the weapon, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness can further expand on its magical nature and history in the MCU. It's even possible that Doctor Strange may have the Ebony Blade in the present day.

Doctor Strange Can Help Black Knight With The Blood Curse

Wielding a weapon as powerful as the Ebony Blade comes with a very important - and dangerous - side effect. The sword comes with a blood curse that can corrupt whoever uses it. The blood curse was created from all the people who were killed by Sir Percy. When the Ebony Blade sheds blood, it has a profound effect on the mind of the person wielding it. Each time the sword spills blood, the wielder is compelled to commit more acts of violence. It has a much stronger effect on those who use it to shed innocent blood. Using the sword too much can twist a person’s mind until they become a corrupted shell of their former self. This is a fate shared by many of Black Knight’s ancestors, as well as a fate that he has worked hard to avoid.

Black Knight spent years struggling to fight the sword’s influence. Sometimes, his only option is to hide the sword away and take up another weapon in its place. Fortunately, Black Knight was at one point able to temporarily get rid of the blood curse, but it took the magical expertise of Doctor Strange for this to happen. Doctor Strange was the answer to Black Knight’s problems in Marvel Comics - could the same be true for the MCU Black Knight? If Harington’s Dane Whitman is afflicted by the blood curse, consulting the Sorcerer Supreme would be the most logical course of action. If this is the case, Black Knight could receive an integral role in not one, but two movies from Marvel’s Phase 4 slate.

Black Knight’s mystical connections through the Ebony Blade and comic book ties to Doctor Strange provide plenty of reasons why Kit Harington’s character should make an appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

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