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Kit Harington Reveals Why He Took His Role In Eternals As Dane Whitman
Eternals actor Kit Harington reveals the reason that he signed on to play Dane Whitman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Directed by Chloé Zhao, Eternals premiered in November 2021, branching out in terms of genre and character to explore the celestial side of the MCU in more depth. With a star-studded cast including Gemma Chan, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry, and many others, the film set itself apart from most MCU films. Though divisive, the superhero epic introduced many important players to the franchise at once, including the powerful Eternals themselves as well as Harrington's character Dane.
Introduced as Sersi's (Chan) boyfriend, Dane worked at the London Natural History Museum. Dane was sidelined for much of the movie and ultimately had a minor presence in Eternals. However, some intriguing details such as his suspicions about Sersi's true nature, mentions of his mysterious family, and a titillating post-credits scene, set up a larger future for the character in the MCU. Many were pleasantly surprised to see Harington, who had recently completed a near-decade run as Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, in another major franchise (and reunited with former co-star Richard Madden), and he has since explained why he took the role.
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Harington was asked whether he knew his character may have a larger future within the franchise. In the Marvel Comics, Dane Whitman takes up the mantle of the Black Knight from his uncle, with whom he had a complicated relationship hinted at in Eternals. As the Black Knight, Dane wields the Ebony Blade, which takes a heavy toll, and even goes on to join Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Harrington made it clear that he didn't take the role "just to play someone’s boyfriend," teasing that he always had his eyes on a future as Black Knight. See what he had to say below:
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"No, I kind of knew that that might be a possibility. I wasn’t that interested in rocking up in a Marvel movie just to play someone’s boyfriend. I knew of some future possibilities, so that’s always been part of the conversation. But like with anything, you don’t really know. You sort of do your research on what character it could be, and you go, ‘Oh, that looks quite fun.’ But it’s up to them whether they want to bring that person into their plans. I don’t know at this stage. I have no idea what their plans are."
Will Dane Whitman Return?
The knowledge that Harington is clearly willing to expand his part in the MCU as Black Knight is exciting for fans of his as well as those looking forward to seeing Black Knight make his official debut in the franchise. Though Harington doesn't know what's in Marvel's plans for the character, the Eternals post-credit scene clearly set up another appearance from him. In that scene, Dane inherits the Ebony Blade from a deceased ancestor (likely his uncle). As he reaches for the blade, the voice of Mahershala Ali's Blade asks if he is truly ready. The scene teases further interactions between Black Knight and Blade, as well as confirming that Dane will become an important player with his own powers in the MCU.
As for when Dane will return or make his debut as Black Knight, there were already talks of bringing his character back for a cameo in the Disney+ series Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac. Though he didn't make it into that series, it's possible that Dane's transformation into the Black Knight is the perfect fodder for a Disney+ solo show since the MCU seems eager to expand their roster into more individual stories. In terms of confirmed projects, he may return in 2024's Blade either in a cameo, post-credits scene, or a bigger role, since their characters have already been linked by the MCU. If Eternals 2 were to happen, Dane's involvement with Sersi could see him make a comeback. Finally, the Black Knight's presence in the Avengers in the comics could mean that the Eternals character will appear in one of the upcoming Avengers films.
