Why Blade Warns Dane Whitman About The Ebony Blade

The post-credits scene for Marvel Studios’ Eternals featured Dane Whitman (Kit Harrington) contemplating picking up the Ebony Blade until he received a warning about the dangers of the sword by a voice cameo from none other than Blade himself, played by Mahershala Ali. Eternals introduced over a dozen new characters to the MCU, including ten members of the titular race, who saved the Earth from destruction by stopping the Celestial emergence. Directed by Chloé Zhao, Eternals opened to awfully mixed reviews and ended up becoming the first MCU film to receive a rotten star from the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Fortunately, the film’s two credits sequences redeemed some of its flaws. The first stinger introduced Starfox, Prince of Titan and brother to Thanos, played by Harry Styles, and confirmed the existence of Eternals on other planets. The second credits scene teased Dane Whitman’s MCU future as the Black Knight, as he was seen reaching for the Ebony Blade, an ancient and mystical sword that has passed through generations of the Whitman family tree. However, the biggest reveal came in the form of a voice cameo from Mahershala Ali as Eric Brooks, better known as the vampire hunter Blade.

Blade warns Whitman about the dangers of the Ebony Blade, asking him if he is sure he is ready for what’s in store for him if he picks it up. This is due to the dark consequences associated with wielding the Ebony Blade. In the source material, the Ebony Blade amplifies the worst characteristics of its user, and Whitman would have lost himself to the blade had he picked it up without knowing the consequences.

The Ebony Blade is the antithesis of Thor’s Mjolnir, in that it is strongest in the hands of those who are the most impure of heart. In Marvel Comics, Dane’s uncle, Nathan Garret, held the title of the Black Knight before Dane himself. On multiple occasions throughout Dane Whitman’s Black Knight history, he succumbs to the powers of the Ebony Blade and loses control. Blade clearly understands the lore associated with the Ebony Blade and the grave ramifications that come with using it. He will probably share this knowledge with Dane before he becomes the Black Knight.

Even though the Ebony Blade is cursed, Dane Whitman will probably still wield it to become the MCU’s Black Knight. Considering that Blade will help him control the Ebony Blade, Kit Harrington will most likely reprise his role as Dane Whitman alongside Mahershala Ali in the upcoming Blade solo film. This could also be the beginning of the formation of the MCU’s Midnight Sons, a darker faction of the Avengers that primarily deals with mystical threats. Even though the main portion of Eternals did not do much to set up the MCU’s future, thankfully its two post-credits scenes, more specifically the second, have given audiences much to look forward to in the coming years.