Summary
- Kit Harington has revealed that he doesn’t want to take on heroic roles following his starring role of Jon Snow in Game of Thrones.
- This could mean that Dane Whitman, a.k.a. the Black Knight, in the MCU will become a villain, rather than a superhero.
- Dane Whitman’s Black Knight could return in Blade, or in any number of potential United Kingdom-based MCU projects, including those rumored to feature Captain Britain.
Kit Harington may have revealed more about his future in the MCU as Dane Whitman, a.k.a. the Black Knight. Kit Harington achieved international acclaim after debuting as Jon Snow in HBO’s Game of Thrones between 2011 and 2019, and this reportedly saw him become one of the highest-paid actors on television. Harington went on to star in Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, Pompeii, Brimstone and Gunpowder, before finally joining the MCU as Dane Whitman in 2021’s Eternals. However, there hasn’t been any word on Kit Harington’s future in the MCU as Dane Whitman, or his superpowered alter ego, the Black Knight.
Dane Whitman was introduced in Eternals as the human boyfriend to Gemma Chan’s Sersi, a member of the titular cosmic team. Whitman soon learned the truth about Sersi and her family on Earth, and took these revelations in his stride, but when the Celestial Arishem returned to Earth and captured Sersi, Whitman turned to a strange family heirloom for answers. Eternals’ post-credits scene revealed Whitman owns the Ebony Blade, a powerful weapon that, when wielded, would transform him into the Black Knight. This hasn’t happened yet, but more light may now have been shed on the Black Knight’s MCU future.
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Kit Harington Doesn’t Want To Play Heroes After Game Of Thrones
Speaking recently to Entertainment Weekly, Kit Harington revealed more about what roles he’d chosen since leaving Game of Thrones after the final season in 2019. When questioned why he had gravitated towards more villainous characters, Harington noted, “that is seemingly what I’ve been hunting a bit,” before revealing that he has experienced some personal “pushback” about accepting heroic roles. Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow was an outright hero, so it makes sense that Harington would want to veer away from this typecast, but this could hint at a dark future for the MCU’s Dane Whitman after his debut in Eternals.
If I look at the roles I’ve taken since playing an out-and-out hero in Game of Thrones, I have to admit there seems to be some sort of pushback about playing a hero. I’m not so interested in heroic roles, and if I am, they have to be pretty anti-hero-ish. My heart goes out to people playing heroes. They’re f—ing hard to play and to make interesting. It is more fascinating as an actor, I think, to empathize with someone deeply faulted and wrong, to try and find your way into why they are doing these things. [Playing] a guy who is doing all the right things and is driven by being good, it’s harder to do that. And I think people who do it successfully, who play classically heroic roles, are very talented actors. But at the moment, I just find it more interesting looking for the f—ed-up people.
Dane Whitman’s Black Knight May Be A Villain In The MCU
The fact that Kit Harington has suggested that he’s steering clear of heroic roles following his tenure on Game of Thrones suggests that Dane Whitman may not actually be a hero in the MCU. While often depicted as a hero in Marvel Comics, Dane Whitman’s Black Knight inhabits some morally-gray areas, particularly through his use of the cursed Ebony Blade. Kit Harington’s Black Knight could take this a step further, and establish him as an outright villain in the MCU, perhaps with the Ebony Blade corrupting him, similarly to Wanda Maximoff with the Darkhold, or Strange Supreme with Cagliostro’s teachings.
In Marvel Comics, there have been three known Black Knights: Sir Percy of Scandia, a medieval knight, Nathan Garrett, a supervillain, and Dane Whitman, who became the Black Knight to help restore the title’s honor.
In Marvel Comics, Dane Whitman’s Black Knight becomes a member of Excalibur, the Avengers, the Defenders, and the Heroes for Hire, but his MCU journey could take him in a very different direction. Whitman’s mysterious family history could have hinted at a previous villainous Black Knight, as he is the nephew of Nathan Garrett’s evil Black Knight in Marvel Comics, so wielding the Ebony Blade could transform him into another powerful villain. This would fit Harington’s brief of not taking heroic roles, while also expanding on the MCU’s mystical and historical storylines, though it’s unclear when this story could unfold.
When Will Dane Whitman Return To The MCU?
Eternals’ post-credits scene marked the voice debut of Mahershala Ali’s Eric Brooks, a.k.a. Blade, in the MCU, so it was heavily theorized that Kit Harington would make his next appearance in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Blade reboot. However, after a series of massive rewrites, it seems as though Dane Whitman will not be included in Blade, despite the connection between him and Mahershala Ali’s vampire hunter already being established. Blade will explore the mystical and supernatural side of the MCU, so this would have been the perfect place for Whitman’s evolution into the Black Knight, though there are several other options.
As a British character in the MCU, Dane Whitman’s Black Knight would fit perfectly in the growing United Kingdom-based adventures, particularly after Secret Invasion introduced Emilia Clarke’s G’iah, and Moon Knight debuted the British Steven Grant as one of Marc Spector’s alters. With rumors of Captain Britain’s MCU debut on the rise, it’s possible MI:13 or Excalibur could form in the MCU’s future. This would create the perfect opportunity for the Black Knight to return to the MCU, perhaps as a villain for these powerful British superhero teams, though only time will tell what the future holds for Dane Whitman.
Eternals
Director
Chloé Zhao
Release Date
November 5, 2021
Runtime
157 minutes