Last year's Eternals was arguably one of Marvel Studios; most divisive films to date. It was a pretty big departure from a lot of the studio's typical offerings, particularly in the story's pacing and focus. But while it's definitely a horse of a different color as a movie, there's at least one aspect where it remains completely in line with its superhero brethren. Of course, this refers to the characteristic inclusion of post-credits scenes teasing whatever might be coming next.
In Eternals, the credits featured 2 scenes, much like most of the MCU's (Marvel Cinematic Universe) projects these days. The first was the typical sequel hook, featuring Harry Styles as Eros, brother of Thanos (yes, really), in a slightly wacky moment where he's introduced by Patton Oswalt's Pip the Troll (still not making this up). But the second post-credits scene brought the focus back to Kit Harington's Dane Whitman, history buff and romantic interest to Gemma Chan's Sersi. As he examines the mysterious Ebony Blade, an offscreen voice chimes in with, "You sure you're ready for that, Mr. Whitman?"
It's since been confirmed that this uncredited voice was actually Mahershala Ali's debut MCU cameo as Blade. When this information came out, fans quickly began speculating about whether Dane would appear in the upcoming Blade movie. According to Eternals VFX Supervisor Stephane Ceretti, it looks pretty likely. When speaking with ComicBook.com, he mentioned the scene and the sword, alluding to the future of the franchise. "The funny thing is my second on the show, which is Mårten Larsson my additional supervisor, is actually going to be supervising Blade very soon," he said. "So I told him, I said, 'I'm giving that to you as a gift, use it wisely and make good out of it.' But I'm sure it's going to do actually even better."
This confirms that, at the very least, the Ebony Blade will appear in Ali's full official debut film Blade. While Ceretti didn't flat out say that Dane Whitman would appear in the movie as well, signs seem to indicate that will be the case. Harington's character certainly seemed to have more to him than meets the eye, and his interaction and fascination with the sword definitely lend credence to that idea. Good ol' Marvel, still violently averse to a completely standalone movie.
In the Marvel comics, Whitman took on the mantle of Black Knight when he inherited the cursed Ebony Blade, becoming a superhero on a quest to restore his honor. The comics even saw him joining The Avengers and The Defenders at times. The character has been around since the '60s, with many different members of Whitman's family taking up the title. But with Harington's small but important inclusion, it's pretty clear where the focus will be.
What isn't clear is whether Harington's character will receive his own movie, but all signs point to at least a more significant role for him in Blade than Eternals. Only time will tell. But come on, it's Marvel. Passing up an opportunity to add more characters is like a Star Wars fanboy passing on an opportunity to complain.
Eternals is available to stream on Disney Plus.
Source: ComicBook.com