Eternals’ Dane Whitman Might Play A Bigger Role In Secret Invasion

After MCU’s Eternals, Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman/Black Knight might come back in Marvel’s Secret Invasion show to fight against the Skrulls. In the comic books,

By Ishita Chatterjee
September 16,2021
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After MCU’s Eternals, Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman/Black Knight might come back in Marvel’s Secret Invasion show to fight against the Skrulls. In the comic books, Dane Whitman is called the Black Knight. The Knight is known as the greatest swordsman in the Marvel universe.

Since the 1960s, Dane has been fighting along with the Avengers in the Marvel comics, and soon he will be making his big-screen debut in the upcoming Eternals movie as well. The movie will focus on a race of super-powered immortals who have been on earth for thousands of years.

It must be said that Black Knight is the only confirmed character in the film who is human in the comics. This obviously will make anyone ask how he fits in the overall story of the film. Fans think he will be connected to Gemma Chan’s Sersi, who is a core and powerful member of the Eternals.

Dane Whitman In Secret Invasion
Dane Whitman In Secret Invasion

This is because the two have been involved in a romance in the pages of The Avengers during the early 1990s. And it seems like their romance is going to be adapted in the MCU as well. But apart from that, it’s not really clear what Marvel Studios is planning for Dane Whitman.

But right now, it won’t be wrong to assume that Marvel had plans for the Knight to appear on order projects like Secret Invasion. How? Let us explain that.

The Secret Invasion In Marvel Comics

Cover of Issue #1 of Secret Invasion
Cover of Issue #1 of Secret Invasion

The upcoming Disney+ series is based on the comic book event of the same name. It will feature Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) and of course Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). They will go up against the shape-shifting aliens called Skrulls. And Kit Harrington’s sword-wielding Knight could be an ally to these two.

In the comics, Secret Invasion encompassed dozens of heroes from all over the Marvel universe. At that time, it was thought to be one of the largest crossovers they had ever done. A

After all, characters from multiple titles participated in the event, and their stories were affected by it. The huge number of characters involved in the Secret Invasion storyline reflected the massive scale of the problem that the Skrulls posed.

Skrulls in Captain Marvel
Skrulls in Captain Marvel

After all, as shown even in the Captain Marvel movie, the Skrulls can shapeshift, and as such, they can infiltrate anywhere they want. So when the Skrulls came out of hiding and launched their own attack, England had to rely on Black Knight (as well as other heroes) who were pretty much in retirement.

With the help of the Ebony Blade, the Black Knight fought off multiple waves of Skrulls without any help. During this period, he met Faiza Hussain, a doctor. Faiza became a new love interest as well as the apprentice of the character. With her by his side, Black Knight and Captain Britain fought the Super Skrull.

Now, the Super Skrull is the most well-known and powerful member of the Skulls. He possesses the combined abilities of Marvel’s first family- the Fantastic Four. As such, he proved to be a tough opponent for even the team-up of Captain Britain and Black Knight.

However, thankfully he was ultimately defeated, and England was finally saved.

Who Will Show Up In The Disney+ Secret Invasion Series?

Monica Rambeau in WandaVision
Monica Rambeau in WandaVision

Regarding the Disney+ Secret Invasion series, nothing has been set in stone. As in, no superhero MCU characters have been confirmed in the series. But that could indeed change soon. For one, Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau could be in the show.

After all, in the post-credits scene of WandaVision, Monica was introduced to a Skrull. Also, she is the one who came into contact with a Skrull in the Captain Marvel movie as well. However, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has suggested that it won’t have as many heroes as the comic book version.

And it makes sense. But it will surely have some so that they can capture the vibe of the comic book event. After all, it really won’t feel like Secret Invasion if Nick Fury only relied upon SWORD agents and spies to find and defeat the Skrulls. As such, it’s necessary that there be some established and new MCU heroes.

Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel

Now, characters who lead their own movies like Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) might not be there. But that might not be totally necessary. Even though Captain Marvel being there will establish a better narrative thread. But that isn’t strictly necessary.

After all, there are plenty of other powerful heroes who can help Earth when the time comes. Now, one of the heroes who can help when the time comes is Dane Whitman aka, the Black Knight. Kit Harrington would be fresh off his role in the Externals movie by the time Secret Invasion arrives in 2022.

Why The Black Knight Might Return After Eternals?

Kit Harrington as Black Knight
Kit Harrington as Black Knight

Dane Whitman is the one character from the Externals who has the best chance of showing up in other MCU properties apart from the movie and its potential sequels. After all, he isn’t strictly a part of the Externals, and neither is he connected to their story in the Marvel Comics.

This is because the Black Knight is first and foremost an Avengers character. He is a classic member of the team and has been helping them out in their missions for decades now. In fact, in the early 1990s, he was the face and leader of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes after he was featured prominently on multiple comic book covers.

So he was the character who was the most important in those comics at that time. As such, he has led the Avengers through multiple battles. And so it’s hard to imagine that he will be limited to just the Eternals film.

Instead, it feels like the Eternals role will help introduce him and then set him up for other projects. And after being introduced he would evolve into a main MCU hero. In fact, as per his comic book history, he is a strong contender to lead the Avengers in Avengers 5. However, Avengers 5 is still some ways away.

What Will Be Black Knight’s Role In Secret Invasion?

Title logo for Disney+ Secret Invasion
Title logo for Disney+ Secret Invasion

When Marvel first cast Kit Harrington in Eternals, rumors were abuzz that he would be playing Dane Whitman and not Black Knight. This confused fans at the time. But it basically meant that he might not be the recognized and loved sword-wielding hero right away.

However, he could be a skilled sword fighter, and that’s what we think the rumor was hinting towards. After all, him getting the Ebony Blade might be a journey well on its own. And it will need to get done because they obviously can’t show him as an established character just when he shows up in the movie.

In fact, he might not be the Black Knight Marvel comic fans know even till the end of the movie. Hell, we think that it might very well take further projects to develop the characters. And that might be the best possible course to take as that will allow the character to develop fully.

Secret Invasion will stream on Disney+ within a year after the debut of the movie. As such, this project might be the first time that audiences see Kit Harrington finally become the Black Knight everyone knows and loves.

Black Knight in Marvel Comics
Black Knight in Marvel Comics

With this experienced skill set, there are a variety of ways Dane will be able to contribute to the fight against the Skrulls in Secret Invasion. Also, the character has a physics background. So Marvel can show this aspect in the Eternals, and it would be a factor that could get explored in Secret Invasion as well.

It’s possible that SWORD might call him to get his scientific expertise. If that’s the case, then he can indeed be an asset to SWORD’s efforts in multiple ways. After all, in Black Knight, they will get a superhero and a talented scientist. As such, he can pose a bigger threat to even the strongest Skrull warriors.

Of course, this is all speculation right now. We have to wait for the debut of The Eternals to get a clearer picture of what’s in store for the Black Knight in the MCU.

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