Despite the last phase of the franchise now upon us, the Eternals are nowhere in sight, which has destroyed the latent potential of many characters of the group that could make an impact in the MCU. And among them, the character of Dane Whitman a.k.a. Black Knight, played by actor Kit Harington in the film, was one of the most promising prospects to be explored further.
But with the expulsion of the Eternals from the franchise, even in 2026, it has taken out what could’ve been an interesting character with an interesting story. Thus, we take a closer look at who really is Black Knight from the pages of Marvel comics.
Here’s a Closer Look at Black Knight From Marvel Comics
Cover page of King in Black: Black Knight #1 (2021) | Credits: Marvel Comics
The thing that irked many comic book fans was the fact that, despite possessing the power, Harington’s version of Black Knight was never shown in his full glory, never getting the major push that was planned for him. And while some aspects of his origins were touched upon, his lore goes deeper than what we saw in Eternals.
In the comics, Whitman comes from a long line of Knights, which dates back to Sir Percy of Scandia in Camelot, connecting him to Marvel’s Arthurian mythology. This also explains his connection with the Eternals, who have been shaping humanity for more than a millennium.
Although he is the most famous, Whitman is the third character in the comics to use the Black Knight moniker, which was previously held by his uncle, Nathan Garrett, who was also a supervillain. But in his dying breath, he asked Whitman to carry on the moniker in the name of good, a redemption of the family name and legacy.
Despite not possessing superpowers like his Eternals allies, Whitman possesses almost perfect skills in swordsmanship and other deadly martial arts. He also compensates for the lack of superpowers with his exceptional scientific intellect.
At the same time, he also possesses a mystic weapon, which is called the Ebony Blade, a cursed relic capable of cutting almost anything, deflecting energy, and even absorbing magical forces. But too much use of it, especially if being used for bloodshed, can corrupt the wielder. He also possesses an ebony suit of armor that was designed by elves from a bygone era.
Alas, with the MCU shifting focus away from these heroes, Harington lost a character with potential to do well in the franchise, on top of a Jon Snow spin-off cancellation from Game of Thrones.
How Marvel Studios Fumbled the Eternals in the MCU
Taking the factor of the COVID-19 Pandemic into the equation, the biggest reason why the MCU fumbled the Eternals is by not letting them grow and expand upon the overarching narrative that director Chloé Zhao had. By just looking at the box office collection, Marvel Studios made up its mind about its future.
And coming to the fan reception, while most of them claimed that this was something different from the original MCU formula, not many claimed that it was bad or detrimental. In fact, this could’ve proven to be the change franchise was looking for, only if the studio had let the narrative breathe with sequels or spin-offs.
And lastly, the cast of the film, like Kumail Nanjiani, still feel that they did their best, and are proud of what they accomplished, which indicates there wasn’t a major problem with the story or a lack of direction.
Here’s more information on Eternals.
MovieEternalsDirectorChloé ZhaoMajor CastGemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail NanjianiRotten Tomatoes Score47% | 77%Box Office$402 Million
Do you think Marvel axed the potential of the film and the characters? Tell us in the comments below.
Eternals is available to stream on Disney+ (US).
