Eternals After-Credits Scene’s Third Secret (& Biggest) Marvel Character Confirmed

Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead for Eternals’ End-Credits Scenes

A third secret Marvel character featured in the after-credits scenes for Eternals has been confirmed by the film’s director. Marvel movies have a long history of using mid- and post-credits scenes to tease future projects, going all the way back to Samuel L. Jackson’s introduction as Nick Fury in 2008’s Iron Man. Because of their spoilery potential, they are often treated as closely guarded secrets by the studio, but those for Eternals have already been heavily publicized after a reporter revealed Harry Styles appears as Thanos’ brother, Eros (a.k.a. Starfox), directly following the film’s Los Angeles premiere.

Both fans and the filmmakers were dismayed to find the news had gotten out early, but everyone was also made aware that a movie about a lesser-known group of Marvel characters still carried massive MCU implications, signaling to fans that Zhao’s film was not to be missed. And, as those who have seen Eternals know, the character introductions don’t end with Styles’ Starfox. Accompanying him into the Eternals’ ship is a drunk Pip the Troll, voiced by Patton Oswalt, and the second credits scene teases Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman adopting his comics alias of Black Knight. But just as he is about to take up the sinister-looking Ebony Blade, a voice asks Dane if he’s sure he’s ready, and the screen cuts to black before revealing the speaker.

Saving fans the trouble of speculating who that mystery character could be, Zhao tells Fandom that the voice belongs to Mahershala Ali, already confirmed to be joining the MCU as the vampire hunter Blade. Her excitement about directing the Daywalker in his first appearance, however brief, is palpable. Zhao admits that she doesn’t know much about the upcoming Blade solo-film, but she’s confident enough in Ali’s talent to know it will impress the fanbase:

That was the voice of one of my favorite superheroes, Mr. Blade himself. Blade, Blade, Blade, yeah! […] You just have to wait for [Blade’s solo-film]. I don’t know what they’re doing with the movie, but Mahershala is a treasure. It’s going to be epic.

The Oscar-winning Ali was first announced as half-vampire Eric Brooks way back in 2019, when Kevin Feige revealed to a Comic-Con audience that a Blade film was in development. While not yet added to Marvel’s release calendar, the movie already has its writer and director in Stacy Osei-Kuffour (HBO’s Watchmen) and Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli), respectively, with production expected to begin in Summer 2022. This Eternals end-credits scene strongly suggests that Harington, who has been somewhat coy about his MCU future as Black Knight, will make his next appearance in Blade – unless, of course, the two characters pop up in another project first.

Viewers will have been wracking their brains trying to recognize the disembodied Eternals end-credits voice, and to learn for certain that it’s Ali’s Blade is an exciting development. Fans have been waiting patiently to see the character on screen ever since he was announced, and while they still technically have to, this small soundbite is the first time Marvel has hinted at their plans for the Daywalker. It’s also a subtle reminder that MCU characters don’t exactly have to wait their turn, and with multiple films and series already on the way over the next couple of years, it’s entirely possible that both Ali and Harington show up in supporting roles in someone else’s project.