Eternals is a bold movie. While it hasn't been released yet, its very existence is what makes it such a prominent and notable choice for Marvel Studios. After successfully pulling the Guardians of the Galaxy out of obscurity, Marvel is looking to do it once again with this new team.
The trailer for the Chloé Zhao directed film just dropped, and it gives a great look at what promises to be an MCU film unlike anything fans have seen before. However, most of the attention went to the titular team of god-like Eternals. There is one key character featured in the film that isn't part of that family, and the actor portraying him only got a single shot: Kit Harington.
Don't let the lack of attention send the wrong message. Kit Harington's Black Knight is set to be a huge part of the film. It's not surprising that the first teaser trailer didn't touch upon him all that much yet—the movie isn't called Black Knight, after all.
But, who is Kit Harington's character in the first place?
WHO IS BLACK KNIGHT?
Black Knight has been a mantle held by several people, the first being a villain back in the 6th century named Sir Percy of Scandia. Wielding the corrupted Ebony Sword, heroics were not something he considered partaking of. Instead, he resorted to villainy.
The mantle of the Black Knight was laid to rest for hundreds of years until Percy's descendent—and Dane Whitman's uncle—found his tomb. Taking the Ebony Sword, Nathan Garrett resurrected the title of Black Knight. Joining the Masters of Evil, he was pitted against the Avengers—where Garrett was mortally wounded by Iron Man.
On his deathbed, Nathan Garrett wished for his nephew to take on the mantle of Black Knight, changing its legacy for the better by becoming a hero instead. That nephew? None other than Dane Whitman, the character being portrayed in Eternals by Kit Harington.
In the comics, Whitman was born and raised in Massachusetts, graduating from university with a master's degree in physics. While initially resistant to the idea, Dane Whitman eventually did become the hero his Uncle desired—with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants being his first target.
Afterward, Whitman found himself being deemed worthy of wielding the Ebony Blade. This time, instead of succumbing to its corruption as his descendants did, Whitman overcame its influence, thus bringing Black Knight into the spotlight as a hero.
Whiteman continued on to eventually spend time as a formal member of the Avengers—only after proving himself once again by saving the team from the grasp of Kang the Conqueror (a villain who also just so happens to be making his MCU debut very soon).
The character is also notably involved with the Kree, such as in the Skrull War, being a part of a successful effort in destroying the Supreme Intelligence War. This is, once again, an event that the MCU is seemingly building to as well. With teases in Spider-Man: Far From Home and the existence of Secret Invasion (an event that the character also shares a large role in alongside Blade), the blowout between the two factions is all but ensured—as is a huge role for Kit Harington's Dane Whitman going forward.
More relevant to Eternals, Dane Whitman does have an involvement with the Eternal Sersi in the comics as well. As fellow teammates of the Avengers at one point and time, the two become attracted to one another. Eventually, with the approval of Ikaris, the acting Eternal Prime at the time, the two form a special bond usually reserved just between Eternals called Gann Josin. Think of it as a sort of joining of minds—and a really serious marriage.
Eventually, the two did break apart, but that's what happens when it comes to decades upon decades of continued serial storytelling. With comics being so crazy and long-winded historically, the Black Knight continued on despite his separation from Sersi, having been a part of many teams following Marvel Comics events. The character led his own Secret Wars spin-off in Weirdworld, played a part in the recent Emprye event, and even currently leads his own solo series, Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade.
HOW WILL THE MCU ADAPT BLACK KNIGHT?
Above is Kit Harington's debut, and he's certainly not looking very Black Knight-y. Next to him stands Gemma Chan's Sersi, his reported love interest for the film. The two seem to be witnessing some sort of event which can be seen in the photo below:
It's unclear what the two of them are witnessing, but it certainly doesn't seem good. It could very likely have something to do with the film's big final act—as it always seems to eventually lead to Earth at some point.
This scene seems to be the same one that was seen in set photos leaked back in February of last year, showcasing the two characters sporting the same outfits on the same green field. Videos from the scene showcased civilians being knocked back on their feet just before Sersi started was lifted into the air.
While the trailer only shows Kit Harington's Dane Whitman in regular civilian clothes, rest assured that the character will be sporting a comic-accurate Black Knight costume. Last year, The Direct exclusively reported that since pre-production for Eternals was rushed in order to meet deadlines, sets, costumes, and even parts of the film's script were not completed by the time filming began.
This included Dane Whitman's comic-accurate Black Knight attire. While it's not a given that what's seen here is an example of where Marvel will be digitally creating the suit, fans aren't likely to see the suit in action until the film's release. That is, unless, Marvel is feeling generous and gives fans a nice hero shot in a future trailer.
As for how Dane Whitman crosses paths with the Eternals, that is still unknown. Some rumors have pointed to Whitman being an archeologist in the MCU's rendition, possibly leading to him seeing something he shouldn't have. That would likely queue up Sersi (or the Eternals as a whole) to visit Earth and try to cover their tracks.
Fans will have to wait until November to know for sure, though. It seems like it's going to be worth the wait, however, as it's been claimed multiple times that Marvel is blown away by what Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao has given them.
Eternals releases in theaters on November 5, 2021.
