Spoiler alert: This write-up is all about the next credits scene in “Eternals,” so by its mother nature is a spoiler. Though it does not disclose plot particulars of “Eternals,” if you haven’t seen the movie yet, permit us endorse checking out this review or this tale on director Chloé Zhao as an alternative.
The Black Knight generally triumphs!
The shock in the second credits scene is not that it teases the arrival of the Black Knight. It has been recognised for some time that the character “Game of Thrones” star Kit Harington plays in “Eternals” is Dane Whitman, change ego of that hero. It’s the enigmatic ending of the scene that will have Marvel supporters abuzz … and puzzled.
It should really be mentioned that Whitman is the great Black Knight, who to start with appeared in “The Avengers” No. 47 (1967), not the negative Black Knight (his uncle), who initially popped up in “Tales to Astonish” No. 52 (1964), battling Big-Man and the Wasp. (It need to also be observed this is not the Black Knight from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), so don’t assume sudden dismemberings of our hero.)
By the way, “Avengers” 47 has skyrocketed in value with the news the character was coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe a around-mint copy reportedly sold this yr for much more than $5,000.
The 2nd bonus scene, which comes after the credits, finds Dane driven by the disappearance of his girlfriend, Sersi (the Everlasting played by Gemma Chan) into confronting his birthright, the Ebony Blade. As far as excuses to not go in jointly go, currently being kidnapped by, primarily, God just before her boyfriend’s eyes is a rather very good a person. Hence the opening of the box he would seem so hesitant to peek inside. To be truthful, who would not be hesitant when there is an inscription underneath the lid that translates to “Death is my reward”?
And what is in the box? The blade hewn by Merlin — yes, that Merlin — from a meteor (as are all great factors in the MCU). In the comics, it went on to have pretty a checkered record involving the Avengers, the Inhumans and Dracula, among the other folks.
By legend, the weapon was all over in the time of King Arthur by publication, it predates the Silver Age of Marvel (the 1960s technology of heroes these kinds of as Iron Guy and Spider-Person who sort the backbone of the MCU). It very first appeared in “Black Knight Comics” No. 1 in 1955, in the palms of the O.G. Black Knight, Arthur’s bud. 1 of the Celestials of Marvel the organization, Stan Lee, even wrote the tale.
The magic sword has a selection of capabilities in the comics, main among them indestructibility and the skill to lower through just about anything at all (such as mystical limitations). It also grants its wielder safety from electrical power blasts and magic attacks. It is a huge deal. Nonetheless, it is also cursed and has a behavior of amping up its user’s bloodlust. What did you expect, with that motto.
Whilst Dane is just one in a prolonged line of Black Knights relationship to King Arthur’s Round Table, he’s the initial to join the Avengers (and Defenders, and others). Marvel supporters understood all this coming into “Eternals,” of system, even though the uninitiated may possibly have loved looking at Harington in the apparently flipped “helpless girlfriend” trope, listed here immortal heroine Sersi’s helpless mortal boyfriend.
As considerably as Avengers go, Black Knight is one particular of the least physically effective. But he’s a wonderful fighter, in particular with a sword, who’s in excellent condition for a human. Oh, and he can ride a horse definitely effectively.
The real thriller of the submit-credits scene comes at the incredibly stop when an unidentified voice asks, “Sure you are all set for that, Mr. Whitman?”
What voice? Who? Where by? Or possibly … when?
The scene ends instantly right after Dane hears people phrases the voice goes by as well swiftly for favourable identification. A Disney representative declined to validate the speaker’s identification. So …
Could it be Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), back again from his holiday getaway in room (space-cation?) to do some early recruiting for the new Avengers crew? The Earthbound Avengers are missing some large hitters now to borrow Steve Rogers’ metaphor, they’re not the ‘92 Dodgers, but they absolutely sure ain’t the ’27 Yankees.
Could it be Dr. Stephen Peculiar (Benedict Cumberbatch), back again from breaking the multiverse with Peter Parker in “Spider-Person: No Way Home” or receiving jiggy with Scarlet Witch in 2022’s “Doctor Peculiar in the Multiverse of Madness”? He looks like the variety of dude who would know when the Ebony Blade was plucked from its creepy box.
Or is it … Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors, from the “Loki” Tv set series)? That time-traveling weirdo almost certainly was all over when the meteor 1st yielded up its guts and has very likely immediately witnessed upcoming undesirable stuff resulting from ol’ Dane choosing up the large knife.
Or anyone else completely? Quite possibly a character not even confirmed to but appear in the MCU?
We don’t know. We can’t know however. But if that cuts deep, realizing you will have to hold out for the expose in a future Marvel film, just take heart: It is only a flesh wound.