Despite having a distinctive brand in the superhero genre, Marvel Comics’ inventiveness goes beyond the dichotomies of superheroes and supervillains. The highly regarded publishing behemoth’s creative team does, in fact, draw inspiration from other sources when creating the characters that will appear in their books. For instance, The Black Knight was inspired by the Arthurian legend of the same name and originally appeared even before Marvel Comics was founded. During the Silver Age, he was developed by Stan Lee and Joe Meneely for Atlas Comics and has endured changing brands.
The Black Knight has patiently waited for his chance to make the big transition from print pages to the big screen, much like other lesser-known Marvel Comics characters. In late 2021, Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao debuted with Marvel Studios by introducing the Eternals. The central group of alien humanoids, whose identities have been customised to fit with many global myths, are the focus of the narrative. Their mission was to defend humanity from all dangers and end all hostilities in the universe. Despite the fact that Eternals was the first female-led Marvel Cinematic Universe film and the first to feature a gay on-screen kiss, Zhao’s film struggled to live up to the high standards set by fans who were interested in the unusual side of superheroes, making it Marvel Studios’ lowest critically acclaimed film to date (according to Variety). The poorly received MCU expansion did, however, succeed in introducing fresh characters who are anticipated to resurface in forthcoming works. As the Black Knight is expected to make a comeback, Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) made his debut as a supporting character before quickly rising to the position of protagonist. A summary of The Black Knight is provided below.
Who is Black Knight?
The name “The Black Knight” has been used by various characters throughout the Marvel Universe, much like other monikers, aliases, and alter egos. While Marvel Comics was still known as Atlas Comics, Sir Percy of Scandia was the first incarnation of the Black Knight. Nathan Garrett, the second person to inherit The Black Knight’s duties, this time in Marvel Comics, succeeded Sir Percy. He was Sir Percy’s ancestor, suggesting that The Black Knight identity is passed down through family branches. The men behind the name Nathan had time to transfer power before Nathan was first launched in the middle of the 1960s. The title of The Black Knight was given to Dane Whitman shortly after Nathan was given the freedom to claim it for himself. Devout Catholic Augustine da Luc, who believed that he was to blame for the widespread conversion to Catholicism, was portrayed as The Black Knight’s most fervently religious counterpart. The Black Knight’s first female portrayal appeared in a fourth, nameless iteration. She was initially planned for the short-lived series Vengeance and will make another appearance in the Young Masters. She wasn’t given much of a chance in the comics, therefore nothing else has been said about her.
Is Black Knight Good or Evil?
The Black Knight is neither continuously a hero nor a villain; instead, they budge to the dictates of the Ebony Blade. Nathan’s more dark disposition made him less deserving of continuing the legacy of the Black Knight and taking up the Ebony Blade for himself, even if Sir Percy was more valiant during his time as the Black Knight after fighting the treacherous Mordred the Evil. He establishes that his tenure as the Black Knight should be considered as evil by joining the ranks of the villainous organisation Masters of Evil. His portrayal of the Black Knight, nevertheless, only serves as a temporary incarnation of the character throughout the character’s history.
Dane, on the other hand, is portrayed as a hero because he battles alongside valiant groups like the Avengers. The moral alignment of Dane is supposed to be more “good” than the “evil” incarnations of the character because he is the one who is summoned to accept his fate as Black Knight in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What Does Black Knight Mean for the MCU?
The post-credits scene from Eternals has laid the groundwork for several MCU plots involving The Black Knight. Dane is called by the Ebony Blade in the scene, and it is supposed that he is aware that he has been asked to bring back the Black Knight. Mahershala Ali will play the Black Knight in the next Blade revival, which has been proven to have connections to Dane. Ali’s voice can be heard resonating through the movie’s closing seconds. Although future projects for either character have not yet been announced, there is strong speculation that the MI-13 plotline may eventually become more integrated into the growing MCU. The Midnight Sons’ earliest incarnations can also be found in a number of recent Marvel Studios movies. The MCU’s more contemporary, supernatural theme would make it easy for this fantasy-inspired character to blend in with its cast, even though Black Knight wasn’t originally a part of the Midnight Sons squad that was featured in the comics. An origin story for Black Knight might be properly introduced with the help of a Black Knight-focused movie or television series, which would fulfil the character’s untapped potential as he is now canonically merged into live-action. There is greater room for a fantasy-based movie to happen as Marvel Studios explores several comic book film subgenres.
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