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How Kit Harington's Black Knight character fits into Marvel's The Eternals movie

Photo credit: Sky/HBO/DigitalSpy/AH - Marvel Comics
Photo credit: Sky/HBO/DigitalSpy/AH - Marvel Comics

From Digital Spy

The Eternals have been lingering in the background of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for some time. But now they will take centre stage on November 6, 2020, with a stellar cast.

Perhaps most notable to Game of Thrones fans, Kit Harington stars in The Eternals as a little known character the Black Knight, whose real name is Dane Whitman.

But who is the mysteriously named superhero? And what does he have to do with The Eternals? For this, you have to turn to the long and rich history of the Marvel comics.

Photo credit: Jesse Grant - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jesse Grant - Getty Images

The Black Knight is a mantle held by many. The first Black Knight was Sir Percy of Scandia, a knight of Camelot who wielded the Ebony Blade, made by Merlin himself. But it's the second Black Knight who really messed things up for future generations.

Sir Percy's descendent Nathan Garrett was rejected by the magical sword and, embittered, took the mantle of Black Knight and became a villain. In his final moments, however, he had a change of heart. He summoned his nephew, Dane Whitman, and asked him to redeem the name of the Black Knight.

Which brings us to the Black Knight as played by Harington. His connection to The Eternals remains slightly obtuse given the cast list released for the movie.

Photo credit: Marvel Comics
Photo credit: Marvel Comics

In the comics, Whitman enters into a relationship with an Eternal named Sersi (no GOT relation). She, however, has not been cast in the movie. Not to mention that they strike up a romance during the 'Avengers: Under Siege' story-line when Sersi temporarily left the Eternals to team up with the Avengers.

Neither is Whitman's other love interest, an Inhuman named Crystal, on the cast list. So, the two characters that bring the Black Knight to The Eternals may not even feature in the movie. But that doesn't mean the Black Knight will be shoe-horned in.

Photo credit: Marvel Comics
Photo credit: Marvel Comics

So could Marvel be streamlining the Black Knight history into one character, a villain who is redeemed by the end? Harington's agent presumably wouldn't sign him up for a minor role, so that could be one option.

At D23, Kevin Feige told Good Morning America that he looked forward to how the Black Knight could "grow into something else" in the future. Sounds like the whisperings of a solo movie to us. The size of Harington's role in The Eternals, then, remains to be seen.

The Eternals is out in UK cinemas on November 6, 2020

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