Kit Harington's MCU Future: Dane Whitman's Return & Black Knight Theories

Eternals introduced Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman and teased a big future for him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – so, where can he appear next and what will happen with him? The MCU continues its expansion with its long-awaited Phase 4, which is doing things differently by covering movies and TV shows, and on the movie side of this universe, a new superhero team has been introduced: the Eternals, an alien race created by the Celestials, who sent them to Earth centuries ago.

Directed by Chloé Zhao, Eternals tells the story of the title team as they are forced to reteam after living apart for many, many years, in order to save Earth from their evil counterparts, the Deviants, and an event called “The Emergence”. Eternals introduced the audience to Sersi (Gemma Chan), Ikaris (Richard Madden), Sprite (Lia McHugh), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Druig (Barry Keoghan), Thena (Angelina Jolie), Gilgamesh (Don Lee), and Ajak (Salma Hayek), the members of the title team, but it also welcomed other characters to the MCU, of which some will surely have a bigger future in this connected universe. Among those is Dane Whitman, played by Kit Harington, who even though didn’t appear much throughout the movie, his future was set up in a post-credits scene.

Following the MCU tradition, Eternals has two after-credits scenes: one that introduces another Eternal and Thanos’ brother, Eros/Starfox (Harry Styles), and another one that further hints at Dane’s comic book backstory. At the end of Eternals, Dane tried to tell Sersi a secret about his family, and in the post-credits scene, he opens an old chest from his ancestors that contains the Ebony Blade. After some hesitation, Dane touches the blade and is immediately distracted by an off-screen character asking him if he’s ready for it. This, of course, leaves the door open for a bigger role in the MCU, so when could Dane Whitman return and what will his role in this universe be?

Will Kit Harington Be In More MCU Movies After Eternals?

Dane Whitman and Sersi watching Arishem return to Earth.

In Eternals, Dane Whitman is introduced as a human character who works as a history professor at the Natural History Museum in London and is in a relationship with Sersi. Eternals doesn’t take long to set Dane aside, as minutes later he learns about Sersi’s true nature following an encounter with a Deviant. Dane isn’t seen for the rest of the movie, and returns right at the end, when he’s about to share a family secret with Sersi but is interrupted when she’s taken away by Arishem (David Kaye), the Celestial who created them. Although the post-credits scene with Dane touching the Ebony Blade sets up his transformation into Black Knight, Harington has shared he isn’t sure if he’s coming back to the MCU after Eternals – but after that scene, it seems highly unlikely that this will be his first and only appearance in this universe.

Why Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman Could Be So Important In The MCU

Blended image of Black Knight in the comcis and Dane in Eternals

Dane Whitman is one of the characters who have taken the mantle of Black Knight in Marvel Comics. The first Black Knight was created by Stan Lee and Joe Maneely, the second was a creation of Lee and Dick Ayers, the third is a descendant of the original and a creation of Roy Thomas and George Tuska, and the fourth version of Black Knight was created by Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr. Dane Whitman is the third version of Black Knight, and in the comics, he’s a member of the Avengers, the Defenders, Ultraforce, Heroes For Hire, and MI: 13. It’s because of his role in the comics as a member of all these teams (he was even the leader of the Avengers at some point, and helped them fight Kang the Conqueror) and his connection to other characters, especially those from the supernatural side of Marvel Comics, that Dane Whitman can be one of the MCU’s most important characters in Phase 4 and beyond.

Upcoming MCU Movies & Shows Harington’s Black Knight Could Appear In

Black Knight Kit Harington Blade Mahershala Ali Connection SR

With Dane Whitman on his way to becoming Black Knight after coming into contact with the Ebony Blade, and the MCU exploring its supernatural side in upcoming movies and TV shows, there are a couple of projects in which Harington could return. One option could be Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where Dane could be seen again in a post-credits scene that could in turn set up the formation of the Defenders, as the Hulk, Doctor Strange, and Valkyrie – all of them members of the team in the comics – are already part of the MCU. Now, the off-screen character talking to Dane in the post-credits scene in Eternals has been confirmed to be none other than Blade (Mahershala Ali), who will make his proper MCU debut in his solo movie, expected to be released in 2023. With that in mind, it is more likely that Dane will show up in Blade, explaining why the vampire hunter was present when Dane touched the Ebony Blade and building a connection between these two characters.

As for upcoming Marvel TV shows, Dane could make a minor appearance in Moon Knight or Secret Invasion, the latter as in the comics, he joined MI-13 during the Secret Invasion crossover event and fought the Skrull forces in London. Of course, as the MCU has made a lot of changes to most of its characters to better fit its narrative and style, Dane Whitman/Black Knight could also go through more changes and so he could appear in the most unexpected movies and TV shows in the MCU.

Will Harington’s Black Knight Get His Own MCU Movie Or Show?

Given that Harington’s Dane Whitman isn’t Black Knight yet, it’s hard to say if he will get his own movie or TV show in the MCU – but at the same time, with the MCU in constant expansion and change, and with the character probably going through some changes to fit this universe, it’s also possible that he could get a movie or TV show for himself. If Black Knight is to be the leader of his own story at some point, it wouldn’t happen as part of the MCU’s Phase 4, as it would be too soon for a character that is just about to start his transformation. Black Knight, then, could get his own movie or TV show in Phase 5 or beyond, but only time will tell if he will lead his own adventure or will serve as a guide or supporting character to others, similar to what Bruce Banner/Hulk has done so far. What’s for sure is that Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman has a lot of potential after his debut in Eternals, and once he becomes Black Knight, he can be one of the most important characters in the MCU, but exactly how big he will be and how far he will go remains to be seen.

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