The Eternals Post-Credits Scene Explained: What's Next For Kit ... - IGN

Marvel's Eternals introduces a number of new heroes and villains to the MCU, as fans get to meet the ancient heroes who have defended humanity for thousands of years. But Eternals also introduces a long-standing Avenger: Game of Thrones star Kit Harington plays Dane Whitman, better known as the sword-wielding superhero Black Knight in the comics.

While Dane never actually suits up as Black Knight in this movie, that transformation is only a matter of time. What's next for Harington's character, and who the heck is the person speaking to him in that cryptic final scene? Let's explore Black Knight's comic book background and how that could inform his MCU future.

Marvel's Eternals: How Many End Credits Scenes Are There?

Before diving into that background, though, let's address one of the big questions MCU fans always have about new movies. Like so many MCU films, Eternals has two extra sequences - a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene. It's the latter of those two that concerns Mr. Whitman, but be sure to check out IGN's full breakdown of Eternals' mid-credits scene.

Warning: The rest of this article contains major spoilers for Marvel's Eternals!

Black Knight: The Basics

There have been several heroes and villains to carry the mantle of Black Knight, but Dane Whitman is easily the most enduring and popular of them all. Dane wields a mystical sword called the Ebony Blade and carries on the heroic legacy of his ancestor, Sir Percy of Scandia. He's been a valuable member of many superhero teams, including the Avengers, Defenders, Heroes for Hire and Ultraforce. He's even formed a romantic bond with Sersi, creating lasting ties to The Eternals.

Dane is often tormented by inner darkness. His enchanted sword also carries a blood curse that threatens to drive the user mad. But through it all, Dane has repeatedly proven himself as one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Dane is often tormented by inner darkness. His enchanted sword also carries a blood curse that threatens to drive the user mad.“

Black Knight: Powers and Abilities

On his own, Dane Whitman has no superhuman powers to speak of, though he is among the best swordsmen in the Marvel Universe and happens to be a brilliant physicist. But after bonding with Sersi through a ritual know as "Gann Josin," Dane temporarily gained enhanced strength, speed and durability. He also later gained the ability to see through magical illusions.

Most of Black Knight's powers come from his weapons. The mystical Ebony Blade was forged by Merlin himself and can cut through nearly any substance in the universe, magical or otherwise. The Ebony Blade can also absorb energy and be summoned from afar like Mjolnir. This sword has a serious downside, however. It's infected with a blood curse, meaning that the more blood it spills, the more it drives its owner insane. Dane has sometimes compensated by replacing the Ebony Blade with other weapons, including the Sword of Light and Shield of Night.

Black Knight can often be seen riding a winged steed named Aragorn into battle.

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Black Knight: Origin and Background

Dane Whitman is one of many incarnations of Black Knight introduced over the years. The original Black Knight predates even heroes like Spider-Man and the Avengers. This version, Sir Percy of Scandia, was an actual knight of Camelot who battled Mordred the Evil after the death of King Arthur.

In modern times, Sir Percy's descendant Nathan Garrett inherited the Ebony Blade and became the second Black Knight. This Black Knight became a villain, battling the Avengers before repenting and passing the sword on to his nephew, Dane Whitman. And though several other characters have taken up the Black Knight mantle since, Dane has remained the most popular and enduring version.

Initially mistaken for a villain (thanks to his nefarious uncle), Dane managed to prove himself to the Avengers by infiltrating the Masters of Evil and then saving the team during a conflict with the Grandmaster and Kang the Conqueror. He quickly became a valuable member of the Avengers, playing a key role in the seminal storyline Avengers: Under Siege. He even temporarily became the team's leader. This is also where Dane struck up a romance with Sersi, who took a break from the Eternals to fight alongside the Avengers.

Dane is also a member of another major Marvel team known as the MI:13. As the name suggests, the MI:13 is a top-secret British intelligence agency that forms its own Avengers-like team in response to a Skrull invasion of Earth. Dane’s MI:13 allies include Captain Britain, Union Jack and even the vampire hunter Blade. More on him in a minute.

Throughout his time with the Avengers and other teams, Dane has often become a victim of forces larger than himself. He discovered the Ebony Blade has a blood curse that threatens to drive him insane. He's often become unstuck in time and transported back to the 12th Century. He and Sersi have even battled his evil doppelganger Proctor and become stranded in the alternate universe known as the Ultraverse. The status quo is always changing for Dane Whitman, but one thing always remains constant - he's one of Earth's most valiant heroes.

Eternals End Credits: Who Is That Voice?

Black Knight doesn't have an extensive history outside of Marvel's comics. He appeared in a non-speaking role in an episode of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. He's also appeared as a playable character in games like Marvel Avengers Alliance, LEGO Marvel's Avengers and the arcade game Avengers in Galactic Storm. But thanks to Marvel's Eternals, he's finally made his live-action debut.

Dane is ultimately more a supporting character in the film, and we never actually see him suit up as Black Knight. However, a post-credits scene does confirm that transformation is on the way. When we last see Dane, he’s approaching the Ebony Blade, only to be interrupted by an unseen voice in the room. That voice is none other than Mahershala Ali’s Blade.

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After Eternals: Black Knight and Blade's MCU Future

What does Blade want with the future Black Knight? As we’ve already established, the two characters do have a shared connection in the comics in the form of the MI:13 organization. This could be Marvel’s first step toward establishing that team in the MCU.

Given that Blade himself is pretty handy with a sword, he may be taking on the role of mentor to Dane. If we’ve learned anything about Blade over the years, it’s that he has little love for supernatural parasites that prey on the lifeforce of mortals.

Ali has signed on to star in the Blade reboot, which could mean Harington will play a supporting role alongside him. And from there, who knows? There could be an MI:13 movie in the works, or even a Black Knight series on Disney+. For a guy like Dane Knight, nothing is impossible.

For more on this upcoming MCU epic, check out IGN's Eternals Explained and Deviants Explained features. Or check out our Eternals ending explained.

11/4/2021: This story has been updated in light of the release of Marvel's Eternals.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.