Despite failing at the box office, Eternals is starting to gain momentum in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which means it's time for one of its major characters to return.
Chloé Zhao's first foray into the superhero genre had a lot riding on it when it hit theaters in 2021. Not only was it the first MCU team-up movie since Avengers: Endgame, but it was also bringing a little-known group of characters to the big screen for the first time.
Wanting to avoid any Guardians of the Galaxy comparisons, Eternals adopted a much more serious tone, having its characters wrestle with the fact that they came to Earth with the goal of destroying it. It worked some of the time, but the film ended up dragging, which forced the Marvel Studios bigwigs to make a tough decision.
Rather than greenlighting a sequel and spinoffs for Eternals characters, the MCU put the property on the back burner. There really wasn't even a reference to the film's events until 2025's Captain America: Brave New World when the governments of the world discovered adamantium within the corpse of the Celestial Tiamut.
It wasn't like Ikaris returned from the dead and flew down from the sky to fight Red Hulk and Captain America, but it was noteworthy nonetheless. And a recent rumor is now adding fuel to the fire, claiming that Marvel Studios is looking for a way to bring the Eternals back into the fold.
The easiest path ahead would be to release a direct follow-up that picks up after the film's dramatic cliffhanger. However, there's another tease in the movie that's arguably just as important, and it deserves its day in the sun.
Dane Whitman Could Make a Major Splash in the MCU
One of the core Eternals, Sersei, loses sight of her mission and settles down in London, England. She meets Dane Whitman, a historian, and the two hit it off.
Unfortunately, the good times don't last forever because the rest of Sersei's people come knocking due to the impending Emergence, which will see a Celestial rise from the center of the planet. Dane takes everything in stride, but he can't help in the fight because of his lack of abilities.
The end of Eternals reveals that Dane won't be helpless forever, though, as he comes into possession of the Ebony Blade, a powerful weapon of mysterious origins. Before he can even wrap his head around what's going on, a voice reaches out to him and asks whether he's ready to take on the responsibility of wielding the sword.
The mysterious voice was later confirmed to be Blade's, who had his own solo movie in the works at the time of Eternals' release. The lack of movement on Blade is likely part of the cause of Dane's disappearance from the MCU, but the two characters can stand on their own.
Whether it's in his own show or a major team-up movie like Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, it's high time for Dane to return with the Ebony Blade in the MCU and adopt his Black Knight moniker - otherwise, such a tease would feel especially wasted given that Marvel Studios' Blade will finally be coming to live-action. After all, the character's first appearance was in an Avengers comic book, and he's been one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes before.
Black Knight's appearance could also be the boost the darker corner of the franchise needs to get Blade and another season of Moon Knight off the ground (read about what's going on with the Disney+ series).
Sure, in a perfect world, Dane would appear alongside all of the other Eternals in a sequel that sees him go after Sersei, who finds herself at the mercy of the Celestial Arishem. Unfortunately, a second Eternals movie feels like too big of a gamble for a franchise that's still trying to claw its way out of a dark period.
