Despite rumors that Marvel Studios’ Blade movie will be a prequel for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Knight could easily still appear. The introduction of Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) in Eternals gave comic readers a tease that he could one day become a hero. He acquired the powerful Ebony Blade by the end of the movie after watching Sersi and other Eternals taken from Earth by the Celestials. The tease of Dane’s superhero transformation was expected, but it was surprising to see the MCU link his future to Blade through a voice cameo by Mahershala Ali in Eternals‘ post-credits scene.
The established connection meant instant speculation that Dane Whitman would be in Blade, and that the upcoming MCU movie could be where Kit Harington’s character finally puts on the Black Knight armor. However, there has been a growing concern that this is unlikely to happen thanks to rumors about the movie’s setting. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Blade will be a prequel and set in the MCU’s past, allowing Mahershala Ali’s Eric Brooks to be introduced without needing to connect to the current Multiverse Saga story. This would seemingly eliminate any chance of Dane Whitman appearing, but Black Knight could still be in Blade.
Dane Whitman’s Uncle Could Be Black Knight In Blade
Blade‘s prequel setting could mean that it is Dane Whitman’s uncle who will appear in the movie and become Black Knight. Eternals noticeably included a few mentions of Dane’s uncle and his family history. This was a nod to the Black Knight mantle in the comics, as Dane’s uncle is Nathan Garrett, who is one of many people to take on the title after wielding the Ebony Blade in the past. Whereas Dane is traditionally a Marvel hero, his uncle’s version of Black Knight was a villain, where he joined Baron Zemo’s Masters of Evil and fought the Avengers.
The idea that Blade could explore more of the MCU’s past gives Marvel Studios an easy path to utilize an earlier version of Black Knight with Dane Whitman’s uncle. This could be how Marvel Studios decides to help explain how Blade knows about the Ebony Blade and its curse. He could have fought against or alongside Nathan Garrett in the past. Depending on the nature of their relationship, Blade seeking out Dane Whitman in Eternals‘ post-credits could make even more sense if his solo movie confirms a history with the family line.
Blade’s Black Knight Can Set Up Dane’s Avengers Future
Dane’s uncle being Black Knight in Blade‘s prequel story also allows the MCU to delay and set up Harington’s character joining the Avengers. Audiences can get a better idea of the origins of the Black Knight mantle and the Ebony Blade curse through Nathan Garrett, allowing Dane’s next MCU appearance to skip the origin part of his story. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty can then utilize Dane Whitman as Black Knight when he is a fully equipped hero. His heroic efforts can be even more impressive too, as Blade‘s prequel story can show how the Ebony Blade corrupted Dane’s uncle to contrast the will of his nephew.