After months of speculation regarding what the series might have in store, Moon Knight finished its run earlier this month with the reveal of Layla El-Faouly as a superhero and a third alter for the titular hero in Jake Lockley. However, as big as these moments might’ve been, it seems as though Moon Knight underwent a lot of changes throughout what looks to potentially be its first season. In a recent interview with Comicbook, series head writer Jeremy Slater revealed one Eternals character nearly appeared in the Disney+ series.
As Slater explained to the outlet, they considered bringing in Whitman because of his experience in a history museum. Unfortunately, though, they opted not to include him as it would’ve been yet another appearance of Kit Harington‘s Whitman without him suiting up. “We talked about Dane Whitman a little bit just because he works in a history museum and that could be a natural interaction,” he explained. “My feeling was if we got Kit Harington to show up and he doesn’t suit up and he doesn’t kick ass, as a fan I’m pissed off.”
If they would’ve been able to include an appearance by Harrington, Slater would’ve needed to ensure the character was able to don his suit. With a limited six-episode count, though, there simply wasn’t room to properly introduce Black Knight. “There was no space in those first two episodes to have him suit up and play Black Knight in the storyline, so we ultimately decided that it didn’t make sense to make this connection. But it was something we definitely talked about a couple days in the room.”
When or how Harrington finally does suit up as Black Knight is still unknown. However, given the post-credits scene in Eternals, an appearance in Blade doesn’t seem unlikely.
All episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.
The contents of the mid-credit scene of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness give the impression that this is the direction Marvel Studios will take the threequel. However, we also all thought a Doctor Strange sequel would include 616 Mordo hunting sorcerers and we definitely didn’t get that.
As Marvel Studios likes to do, they can lift the title right from an existing story. In 2011, Marvel Comics published a hardcover novel, written by Roger Stern, that saw Stephen Strange team up with Clea to overthrow her mother, Umar, in the Dark Dimension. The novel also included an appearance by the Black Knight and really laid out some nice mythology around his sword and the Dark Dimension. Of course, Marvel Studios isn’t much for direct adaptation, so there’s plenty of room to change it up, but a film that really explores the Dark Dimension and the nature of the Faltine could be quite a ride!
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #80 (1995)
With Clea making her way into the MCU, there’s really one other major character in Strange’s circle that feels like a must: Jericho Drumm. Brother Voodoo was rumored to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but obviously never showed. It’s time to get him off the sidelines and, if you’re going to bring him in, you might as well do it right.
Multiverse of Madness ends with Strange developing a particularly nasty case of an extra eye, thanks to his use of the Darkhold. Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme could be a really great cautionary tale about the warning issued by Mordo in the first film: the bill comes due. And in Strange’s case, the Vishanti are probably collecting.
In the MCU’s present, Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme but fans have expected Strange to fill the role and eventually, he probably will. What would be fascinating would be for him to finally be named as Sorcerer Supreme only to have the title ripped away from him and handed over to another of Earth’s most powerful magic wielders: Jericho Drumm.
Marvel Studios could adapt War of the Seven Spheres (making a few changes along the way of course) and introduce the major Mystic principalities of the multiverse. In that arc, Strange renounced his powers after refusing to participate in the War, causing him to be stripped of many of his powers. If that were to happen in the MCU, the Vishanti would need a new Sorcerer Supreme. It’s not as glamorous as some others on the list, but it could introduce some other magic users (Doctor Druid, Salome, Cadaver, Kaluu, and more) as avatars of the principalities and turn out to be a pretty trippy film.
Strange Tales
Doctor Strange #13 (2016)
Multiverse of Madness included one very important detail about Stephen Strange’s origins that was cut from 2016’s Doctor Strange: the drowning death of his sister, Donna. While this might have seemed inconsequential, it could have been a hint to the future of the franchise. While this isn’t an adaptation of a specific arc, it’s absolutely bringing the comics to the screen.
Scott Derrickson always wanted Nightmare to be part of the Strange franchise and, to be fair, he’s arguably one of Strange’s most important villains yet to be adapted. The film could see Strange haunted by nightmares of failing to save his sister, orchestrated by The Lord of Darkness. Parts of the film could visit the Dream Dimension, of which the Nightmare Realm is a corner ruled by Nightmare. It could also introduce Sleepwalker and allow for Sam Raimi to really continue to deal with some of the really off-the-wall visuals he dished out in Multiverse of Madness.
Doctor Strange: Triumph and Torment
Marvel Graphic Novel #49 Dr. Strange and Dr. Doom: Triumph and Torment (1989)
An adaptation of the 1989 graphic novel Triumph and Torment would take the most set up ahead of its release, but it could also have the biggest payoff of any of the potential story lines Marvel Studios might adapt for Doctor Strange 3. Triumph and Torment sees Doctor Strange team up with one of the Marvel Universe’s most powerful sorcerers: Victor Von Doom. The two good doctors, Strange and Doom, travel together to Hell to free the soul of Doom’s mother from her captor, Mephisto.
As stated above, it would take some set up to get here, especially since Doom doesn’t exist in the MCU yet. Much like the do with the Fantastic Four, Marvel Studios has a big job to do in making sure that their version of Doom stands apart from Julian McMahon’s version and even farther apart from Toby Kebbell’s “Hacker Doom.” One way for them to ensure that is to develop the side of Doom’s character that Fox always ignored: his mastery of the mystic arts. Over the years, the retconning of Doom’s origin story has refined it into one of Marvel Comics’ most well-developed. If any villain deserves his origins to be told, it’s Doom, and Marvel Studios could do so through a D+ series that could serve as the precursor to this film. Of course, audiences who don’t watch it might miss out on a few finer points, but if they beginning of Doctor Strange: Triumph and Torment explains that the two Doctors are headed to Hell to save Doom’s mom, it’ll be enough. Assuming Benedict Cumberbatch isn’t going to be around the MCU forever, this is the chance for the MCU to team up two major mystical powerhouses and bring one of Roger Stern’s best stories to the screen.
Doctor Strange and The Defenders
The Defenders #3 (1972)
I’ll never NOT want to see the original comic book Defenders lineup together on screen. By the time a third Doctor Strange film heads to theaters, the trio that first formed the Defenders in the early 1970s will all have been introduced into the MCU, with Namor set to debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever later this year. Clea and Valkyrie, who were also often members of the non-team, are also on the board, leaving only really the Silver Surfer as a well-known member who isn’t quite yet primed to appear.
If Raimi is going to return for the third film, the original Defenders’ arc (which was spread out over issues of Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, and The Incredible Hulk) would be easily adapted and allow Raimi to work with the Lovecraftian concepts that inspired him to make Within the Woods (which allowed him to make The Evil Dead) and that he revisited in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In that arc, the Defenders came together to battle an invasion of the Undying Ones, a collection of ancient demons who existed between worlds and served The Nameless One. Adapting the arc would even allow for Raimi to introduce the MCU’s version of the Necronomicon, which would serve as the bridge from Strange to Namor, whose people could have a history with either the book or the Undying Ones themselves.
You clicked on an article about a post-credit scene, so proceed at your own risk knowing it will be spoiled.
It’s not just about the post-credit scene. Yes, that post-credit scene, which sees Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman interact with an evil, talking sword before being snapped out of a trance by Mahershala Ali’s Blade, is one of Marvel Studios’ best in recent memory, but it’s not just about that scene. Harrington’s role as Dane Whitman in Eternals turned out to be a lot smaller than most people had originally imagined but it perfectly set up the character for a terrifying future and put Harrington on a path to one of the MCU’s faces over the next decade.
By the time Eternals‘ lengthy runtime expires, Harrington’s Whitman is surrounded in enough mystery to make him one of the more interesting characters to explore down the roads. All the hints are there: his estranged uncle, his “complicated” family history and, of course, the very, very dense post-credit scene all of which leaves a lot to unpack, especially for those unfamiliar with the character’s journey through the pages of Marvel Comics.
While Harrington kindly pretends he doesn’t know what’s next for the character, it’s hard to imagine Kevin Feige and the Parliament do not and Eternals gives fans a pretty clear idea of what to expect in the eventual Black Knight project.
The Funky Uncle
While Facetiming with Dane from the Amazon, Sersi implores him to reach out to his uncle and put whatever it is behind them that’s left their relationship strained. That uncle is Nathan Garrett, a British geneticist and inventor and the ancestor of one of the Knights of the Roundtable, Sir Percy of Scandia. As an ancestor to Sir Percy (the Black Knight of Arthurian legend), Garrett inherited the ancestral Garrett Castle which held within it the Ebony Blade, a magical weapon that carries with it a terrible curse. Garrett was found unworthy of the blade, but found plenty of ways to use his natural gifts to become a villain, even joining the Masters of Evil at one point. Before he died, Garrett, in an effort to make good on his potential and make amends for a life of crime, reached out to his nephew and bequeathed him Garrett Castle and all the remained inside, including his brilliant research and the cursed Ebony Blade.
The Complicated Family Legacy
As mentioned above, Whitman’s uncle is descendant of Sir Percy of Scandia which means so is Whitman. So Whitman is one of a long line of people who have had the cursed Ebony Blade, forged by Merlin himself and gifted to them as a birthright. Percy handed the blade to his nephew, Sir Raston (who was killed by Immortus) and from there it found its way through several owners throughout time, including members of the Knights Templar, before finding its way to Garrett Castle. As complicated as that family legacy may seem, it might be even further complicated in the MCU should they choose to pull a particular thread about some potential familial connections to King Arthur himself. What’s worse is that, as it turns out, it might not be the Ebony Blade that’s truly cursed, but the family itself as it was recently revealed during the King in Black event that the sword simply works with its wielder to reveal an unhealthy set of behaviors common in the line: blood lust, psychosis and extreme violence.
What’s In the Box???
And as you may have guessed, that’s the Ebony Blade in the post credit scene…and Marvel Studios knocked it out of the park. There’s no telling what origin the sword will have in the MCU, but they did their best to let us know it’s a terrifying artifact. As Dane opened the box, which was adorned with the same family crest seen on the ring Sersi gave him in the beginning of the film. the cursed sword began to call to Dane who then reads aloud (and not in modern English) the words “Death is my reward.” If that wasn’t creepy enough, as Dane reaches towards the blade, its surface reacts to what you have to believe is his DNA and behaves similarly to iron filings drawn towards a magnet. What plans Whitman has for the sword or vice versa will have to wait, however, as Blade interrupted their union. Choosing Blade as the interloper here is incredibly interesting as the time the two have shared together in the comics is minimal, but it does seem to indicate that the supernatural aspect of the sword will be something of interest later on.
What’s Next?
Whitman’s Black Knight has been an Avenger. He’s been a part of Excalibur. He’s been a member of MI-13. He’s traveled throughout time. He’s fought Skrulls. He’s found himself on Weirdworld. With Harrington on board in the role, it’s reasonable to assume that not only will we see a Black Knight solo project in the not too distant future, but we’ll also likely see a lot of the young hero in other projects over the next decade or so. He’s a character with a rich enough comic book past to connect more of the MCU’s unexplored history (and could especially help unlock the enormous and greatly unexplored potential of the magic, myth and legends of Britain) while also helping shape its future. For Harrington, it’s not just another guy with a sword. Harrington has said on multiple occasions over the past several weeks that he’s drawn to the darker side of this character. Let’s hope Marvel Studios minimizes the changes and maximizes the potential of a character with an already fascinating and established story.
When it was revealed that Kit Harrington was cast as Dane Whitman in Marvel Studios Eternals, fans loved the idea of Jon Snow swinging another famous fictional sword and claim his birthright, this time as the Black Knight. Harrington’s casting certainly seems like one with a long future in mind, and according to an interview with Comicbook.com, the actor is ready to don the gear of the Black Knight, whichever version that is.
“I’m ready to rock any outfit. Whatever you want to put me in, you put me in, ” said Harrington when asked if he would be willing to sport one of Whitman’s more modern comic looks that featured a leather bomber jacket and an Ebony Blade that resembled a lightsaber more than not.
Just when Harrington’s Whitman will make that jump remains to be seen, but according to the actor, Whitman’s journey may not be as similar to Snow’s as we all think…and that’s what he drew him to the role:
It’s the first time Marvel have spoken to me about any character. And this character, obviously there’s a lot you can read on the internet about who he is or what his background is. As far as this movie goes, he’s a human who’s in love with Sersi and represents humanity. You know, as far as any future goes, I can’t really comment on that, but I don’t think there’s any… I actually think there’s quite a big difference between him and Jon Snow. There’s not a lot of similarity there, which if there had been too much, I probably wouldn’t have been interested.
Harrington’s doing a great job dissembling here as it’s highly unlikely an actor of his caliber signed on with Marvel Studios without knowing what’s next but it’s good to know he has an idea of what interests him about the character so that when he does take those next steps, he’ll be invested in him.
Will Poulter’s casting as Adam Warlock dominated the afternoon news cycle yesterday, but earlier in the day, multiple sites published Eternals set visit reports and disseminated quite a few interesting tidbits. Key among them and certainly the one that produced the strongest reaction on our social media was the revelation by Executive Producer Nate Moore that Kit Harrington’sDane Whitman was going to be “just a dude” in Eternals rather than the Black Knight. To sum it up, people were angry. Angry that this news seemed to slight both Harrington and the character, who has a rich legacy in the comics; however, it’s possible that everyone is jumping the gun a little bit and possible that while Kit won’t be swinging the Ebony Blade in Eternals, Marvel Studios might have even bigger plans in store for him. In short, you know nothing, angry fan.
Marvel Studios has plans for the Black Knight. They have for the better part of a decade. Barry Gibbs, longtime Marvel Studios prop master and not Bee Gees falsetto, once told the tale of how the Ebony Blade, the cursed weapon of the Black Knight, was originally set to appear in 2016’s Doctor Strange (presumably in the room in the Sanctum Sanctorum where other artifacts are seen) but was taken out of the script for unknown reasons. They didn’t take it out for no reason. There’s been buzz about the Black Knight in insider circles for several years, so while WHERE they chose to introduce him might have been a little surprising, it wasn’t surprising that they did. And when it’s all said and done, introducing Whitman through his relationship with Sersi-which is comic accurate, by the way-will leave all kinds of stories to be told down the road, something Marvel Studios is very keen to do with new characters on Disney Plus.
You won’t see the Ebony Blade in this movie. He’s not going to be Black Knight necessarily, but that is something that we get to play with down the road.
Nate Moore
Moore’s quote above says as much but it seems that, in anger, fans may have overlooked the last part. Marvel Studios didn’t cast Harrington, a face that is both instantly recognizable and associated with swinging a famous, fictional sword, to have him be Sersi’s man candy. We will see Whitman pick up the Ebony Blade (a long-circulating rumor claims that will be a part of one of the film’s two post-credit scenes) and explore the legacy of the Black Knight. In the comics, it’s a long and dark legacy. A recent merch leak indicates that we’ll see part of that legacy teased (maybe explored a bit) through a ring worn by Whitman bearing the Raven crest worn by all iterations of the character over the years. They pulled the Ebony Blade from Doctor Strange for a reason; they cast Harrington for a reason; they are using the ring to tease the legacy for a reason. I would be absolutely shocked if shortly after Eternals premiers there wasn’t some sort of announcement about a Black Knight series being in development for Disney Plus (perhaps this is the project that goes with the recently formed Speyside Productions LLC: Harrington’s wife was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, the starting point for most Speyside Whisky tours).
A Black Knight series has the potential to change the narrative fabric of the MCU in much the same way as Loki has done. If Eternals is the portal through which Whitman enters the MCU, his series could serve as the portal through which the King Arthur, Merlin, Mordred and Morgan Le Fay join him through their connections to the original Black Knight and Dane’s ancestor, Sir Percy of Scandia. An introduction to those characters could set the stage for Pete Wisdom, MI13, Captain Britain, Excalibur and more…all because Harrington likes Sersi in Eternals. The series could also introduce Whitman’s uncle, Nathan Garrett, and explore the dark side of the nature of the Black Knight, something that will surely be explored as Whitman’s character grows over the years-and make no mistake, the 34-year old Harrington didn’t sign on Marvel without a vision of what he might do over the next decade. At his age, a steady job with Marvel Studios sets him up for life.
So don’t despair, fans of Whitman. While he might take a back seat in Eternals, he’s going to get his time to shine.
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