News at D23 moves pretty fast. Just yesterday, it was reported that Game of Thrones star Kit Harington was in talks to join the MCU. Now we know who he’ll be playing and in what property he’ll appear. Harington joins the already packed cast of Eternals. And he’ll play Dane Whitman, also known as the Black Knight. If neither of those names rings a bell, well that makes total sense. It’s not as if the hero is one of Marvel’s biggest properties.
The news came from the D23 Expo where the castmembers we were already aware of made a special appearance. Though they had just been seen at SDCC, this appearance came with concept art.
The cast of Marvel Studios’ The Eternals takes the stage at the #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/TR1gYEEq1w
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 24, 2019
Black Knight has been a member of several superhero groups including The Avengers, Heroes for Hire, and The Defenders. He has slightly enhanced strength and speed. But he also carries an enchanted sword called the Ebony Blade. This sword is indestructible, can cut through nearly every material, physical or otherwise, and can absorb energy. As such, Whitman is an excellent sword fighter, which will be an easy transition for Harington to make after his last role. This also reunites him with Game of Thrones co-star Richard Madden.
It’s unclear how big a role Harington will play. Whitman is the third person to hold the title of Black Knight. And with him only being announced as Dane Whitman, it seems like we’ll get his transformation into the Black Knight on screen.
Harington’s MCU involvement produced heavy fan speculation over who he would be playing. Many thought he’d be stepping into the Wolverine role while others linked him to the newly announced Moon Knight series. But casting him as someone relatively unknown may be the right move. It will allow Harington the opportunity to make the role his own. Eternals releases November 6th, 2020.
