Marvel Made A Mistake With Black Knight's Eternals Origin

Marvel made a mistake when establishing Black Knight’s backstory in Eternals. Introduced in the second Phase 4 movie, Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman was positioned to become his comic book counterpart in a post-credits scene. As a result of the movie’s setup, Dane can appear in-costume as the Black Knight when he makes his next live-action appearance.

Known as the greatest swordsman in the entire Marvel Universe, Black Knight is a character who has fought beside the Avengers as an ally, a full-fledged member, and even the leader of the group. He remained a powerless civilian throughout the Eternals movie, but his acquisition of the Ebony Blade laid the groundwork for him to get his comic story in the MCU, whether be alongside Mahershala Ali’s Eric Brooks in Blade, with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, or on his own in a Disney+ series. If that happens, the Black Knight could become a major MCU superhero and possibly even an Avenger in the Multiverse Saga.

Though Black Knight’s MCU journey has only just begun, a mistake has already been made with his origin. In Eternals, it was revealed that Dane is a historian who works at the Natural History Museum in London. This stands in contrast to the comics where he was a physicist. As a character who wields a weapon associated with the medieval era, it’s not altogether surprising that Marvel has decided to make Dane an expert on ancient history. However, this approach ignores one of the most interesting elements of the original character. Unlike the MCU’s version, the comic book hero represented a blend of science and magic.

How The MCU Has Already Changed The Black Knight

Dane’s background as a scientist had a lot to do with how he was utilized in Avengers stories, which is why the MCU’s Dane Whitman is already quite different from his comic counterpart. Part of what made him stand out from his fellow Avengers was the unique perspective he brought to the table. The other brilliant minds on the team, such as Hank Pym and Tony Stark, approached each situation from a scientist’s point of view, whereas Black Knight could look for solutions that were both scientific and mystical. For instance, Dane could perform magical rituals with his sword, while also using his expertise as a scientist to make changes to the Wasp’s size-changing powers in the 1980s. The MCU’s Black Knight, on the other hand, can’t have the same range now.

In dropping Black Knight’s background as a physicist, the MCU has lost an important aspect of the comic book hero. However, the MCU can still make the most of this change by using his all-new backstory from Eternals to its advantage. As someone who’s likely well-connected with archaeologists and other historians in the MCU, Dane has access to knowledge and resources that can help him explore his Arthurian connections and the legacy of the Black Knight.

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