MCU's Black Knight Is A Vampire Hunter Like Blade
Daniel Lopez Eternals set up a mysterious connection between Blade and the Black Knight - is it possible the MCU's Dane Whitman will become a vampire hunter?
Marvel's Eternals introduced viewers to Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, the future Black Knight - and he could potentially be a vampire hunter like Blade. Marvel Studios has rightly earned a reputation for playing the long game, and it's becoming clear they're doing just that with Kit Harington's Dane Whitman. Although the character is best known to comic book readers as the Black Knight, Eternals settled for setting that up, with numerous subtle nods to the Black Knight - culminating in Eternals' post-credits scene, in which Dane finally took possession of the Ebony Blade.
Dane Whitman had apparently learned the family secret, and come into possession of the Ebony Blade. Sersi's mysterious kidnapping prompted him to open the box containing the Ebony Blade, an enchanted sword that - in the comics - had been passed down through Whitman's family line since the days of King Arthur. Before he could place a hand on the Ebony Blade, however, he was interrupted by an unseen intruder who asked him if he was really sure he was ready for this. The voice in question belonged to Mahershala Ali, the actor who's been cast as the MCU's Blade, making his voice debut in the MCU.
Eternals' post-credits scene clearly sets up Dane Whitman becoming the Black Knight, a lesser-known character who nonetheless has the distinction of leading the Avengers on occasion in the comics. But Marvel has clearly decided to tie him in with Blade, suggesting the studio intends to double down on the supernatural side of the sword-and-sorcery hero. It's even possible he could be a vampire hunter.
The MCU's Black Knight Is Tied To Blade
Marvel went through a number of drafts of the post-credits scene, carefully considering who they wanted to appear in it. Marvel's decision-makers knew their choice would position the Black Knight in the MCU; if they had Dane Whitman interrupted by Sam Wilson's Captain America, for example, it would clearly tie him into whatever future Avengers narrative the studio is working on right now. Instead, they chose Blade - and they did so for strategic reasons. "The Ebony Blade, the characteristics of the Ebony Blade are not dissimilar to some degree of vampirism," Eternals producer Nate Moore explained when he discussed the connection between Blade and Black Knight. "we think that's an interesting kind of thing to play with. So we kind of knew that was on the table."
In historical terms, it's interesting to note legends of vampires did indeed flourish right around the time Marvel Comics' Camelot is usually set - and the first Black Knight, Sir Percy of Scandia, was the protector of Camelot. In fact, one of the lesser-known legends of Camelot actually deals with a type of vampirism; the story of Sir Balin contains a vignette in which he and a lady he is escorting visit the castle of the so-called Leprous Lady, who drinks the blood of virgins to restore her youth. She is eventually rejuvenated by Amide, sister of Sir Percival, but the act kills the Leprous Lady and earns the wrath of God. So the connection between an Arthurian hero and vampire mythology isn't quite so unprecedented as it may seem at first glance.
The Black Knight's New Motto May Hint At His Role
The MCU's Ebony Blade is accompanied by a strange inscription; "Death is my reward." The Ebony Blade is indeed tied to death itself in the comics; it is enchanted with a powerful blood curse, which means it consumes the life essence - the very souls - of those it kills. For this reason, it is one of the few weapons that can be effectively used against Eternals. So long as a Black Knight has the Ebony Blade in his hand, he cannot be killed - at least not unless someone manages to acquire an enchanted weapon made from the same metal as the Ebony Blade itself. All this means there's clear comic book precedent for an inscription linking the Ebony Blade to death - but what exactly does it mean?
One possibility is that the Ebony Blade creates vampires in the MCU; that when someone is struck with the Ebony Blade, their soul is consumed and they become undead. While that would be a chilling twist, it's unlikely, because Eternals clearly sets Dane Whitman up as a superhero and he wouldn't really want to create more vampires. The alternative is that the inscription points to the Ebony Blade being a weapon that can kill even a vampire, granting true death even to the undead. Perhaps in the MCU, the Black Knight was created as a vampire hunter, to protect the citizens of Camelot from an undead predator, and the blade has been passed down a line of similar vampire hunters for generations.
A Vampire Hunter Twist Would Transform Blade & Black Knight
Such a twist would have a major impact on the MCU's Black Knight and Blade. It would mean there have always been vampires in the MCU, and a war has been fought between vampires and those who would keep them in check for generations. Importantly, it would also mean such vampire hunters sometimes worked together - with Blade picking up a potential new recruit, perhaps setting up a team from the comics called the "Midnight Sons." Blade would presumably be one of the key players in this alliance of vampire hunters, helping Dane Whitman settle into the supernatural world he has been plunged into.
If this theory is correct, then it's likely Marvel's upcoming Blade film picks up directly from Eternals' post-credits scene. It would for Dane Whitman to serve as a sort of "viewpoint character," introducing him to Blade's world of vampires and monsters, using him as an audience surrogate in the story. And Blade would be as much about the vampire hunters (whether they're called the Midnight Sons or not) as it would be about Mahershala Ali's new superhero.
Naturally, at this stage, this is just a possibility. Blade is expected to start filming in July 2022, meaning viewers probably have quite a long wait before these story threads are picked up; Marvel Studios is yet to even announce a release date. Hopefully Marvel's various Disney+ TV shows will drop some clues along the way, given some of the character due to appear on the streaming service are also associated with the Midnight Sons. That may well help audiences figure out more about the mysterious connection between Blade and the Black Knight, set up in Eternals.
