How Eternals’ Credits Scene Sets Up Blade’s MCU Future

Following the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s tradition, Eternals has two post-credits scenes, and while both included surprise cameos, the one in the second scene sets up Blade’s future – and here’s how. With the Infinity Saga now over, the MCU is moving forward with a new phase with a new focus and which will introduce a variety of characters from different sides of the Marvel universe, including its supernatural one. Among these characters is Blade, to be played by Mahershala Ali, and even though he might not arrive in Phase 4, his presence has already been teased.

The MCU’s post-credits scenes also carry the tradition of teasing or setting up characters that will make their proper debut in the near future, and Eternals did so with two very different characters: Eros (Harry Styles), an Eternal and Thanos’ brother, and Blade, the famous vampire hunter and who fans have been waiting to see as part of the MCU. Blade made his big-screen debut in 1998 in the movie simply titled Blade and he was played by Wesley Snipes, who reprised his role in the sequels Blade II (2002) and Blade Trinity (2004). A new version of Blade had been in development since 2013, but it wasn’t until July 2019 that he was confirmed to be coming to the MCU.

Blade will be directed by Bassam Tariq and written by Stacy Osei-Kuffour, and is expected to begin filming at some point in 2022, meaning that it might not be part of the ongoing Phase 4 of the MCU, but Blade already had his debut in this connected universe, though not as fans expected. In the post-credits scene of Eternals, Ali made his first appearance as Blade through a voice cameo, as the scene cuts right before viewers can see who is behind Dane Whitman (Kit Harington), and through it, the MCU is setting up Blade’s future.

Why Blade Speaks To Dane Whitman In Eternals’ Post-Credits Scene

The second post-credits scene in Eternals is all about Dane Whitman and his family background. Right at the end of Eternals, Dane was about to tell Sersi (Gemma Chan) his big family secret when she was abducted by the Celestial Arishem, leaving viewers wondering. The post-credits scene sees him opening an old chest containing a sword, and just as he touches it, he’s startled by an off-screen character telling him “Sure you’re ready for that, Mr. Whitman?”. The sword is none other than the Ebony Blade, which is a key object in Dane’s comic book backstory and his transformation into Black Knight, and the voice was later confirmed to be that of Ali’s Blade.

Blade’s surprise cameo in Eternals’ post-credits scene, especially the one involving Dane, might seem strange to many, but these two have worked together in the comics, and that’s enough reason to bring them together in the MCU. Dane/Black Knight and Blade were both part of Captain Britain’s MI-13 team, and just like many other characters, events, and elements from Marvel Comics, the MCU has already hinted at the formation of the team by having Nick Fury and Maria Hill choosing the Shard as their London base of operation, which in the comics, is also the MI-13 headquarters. Blade talking to Dane Whitman, then, is a step closer to these two teaming up and the MCU having a brand new team that can take the place left by the original Avengers.

Blade & Black Knight’s MCU Future: What Eternals Sets Up

Dane Whitman didn’t have much screen time in Eternals, appearing only at the beginning and end, but as he has now touched the Ebony Blade, his transformation into Black Knight is now confirmed to happen, and with that comes a variety of possibilities. Black Knight has been part of different teams in the Marvel universe, but Blade’s presence in the Eternals post-credits scene points at the MI-13 coming to the MCU. All superheroes native to the British Isles are considered part of MI-13, so by having Blade talking to Whitman, Eternals also prepared the ground for other superheroes to arrive, most notably Captain Britain (long rumored to be coming to the MCU).

Blade talking to Dane also sets up the supernatural side of the MCU. This universe has already established its cosmic side and it’s now ready to move forward with a different one, and Phase 4 is setting the basis for the arrival of supernatural characters, as are Blade, Moon Knight, and Werewolf by Night. Given the Ebony Blade’s origins and the effects it has had on the Whitman family for centuries, it was the ideal way to bring Blade and Black Knight together, who could also end up being part of the Midnight Sons team, which is another group that could be coming to the MCU very soon as two members have already been introduced (Doctor Strange and Morbius), and other members like Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night are arriving soon.

What Does Eternals Mean For Blade’s Solo Movie?

As Blade is still in pre-production, there are no plot details yet, but his cameo in Eternals can give an idea of the direction that Blade’s solo movie will take. If Blade is aware of the Ebony Blade and its effects, enough to directly warn Dane about it, he surely has a history with it and Dane’s family, which makes sense given his links to the supernatural and the more mystic side of the Marvel universe. It’s also unknown where Dane Whitman will appear next, but thanks to the Eternals post-credits scene, it’s likely he will make an appearance in Blade, explaining his and his family’s connection to the Daywalker which can, in turn, be an important part of Blade’s origin story – after all, everything is connected in the MCU.

Other Upcoming MCU Movies & Shows Blade Could Appear In After Eternals

There’s still a long wait until Blade comes out, which is expected to happen in 2023 at the earliest, but if he already appeared in Eternals, he also can in other movies and TV shows before his solo adventure. Blade could appear as early as in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (though, in that case, in a post-credits scene as well), but he has bigger chances of showing up in the TV series Moon Knight. As mentioned above, and following the Midnight Sons line, Moon Knight and Blade were part of the team at some point, and the MCU will soon have enough characters to form the Midnight Sons, so in addition to introducing Marc Spector (played by Oscar Isaac), Moon Knight can also bring Blade into the mix and set up a bigger future for both characters and others as well. Another possibility, and one that fits a lot better with Blade’s supernatural side, is the (still untitled) Halloween Special, scheduled for a 2022 release. The Halloween Special is reportedly introducing Werewolf by Night (Gael García Bernal), another supernatural Marvel character and who is also part of the Midnight Sons – and what better than a Halloween setting to include a vampire hunter like Blade.

Even though nothing is known about the plot of Blade, his cameo in the post-credits scene of Eternals was a big step as the Daywalker know has a proper connection to the rest of the MCU through Dane Whitman, which in turn makes way for different ways in which he can be introduced and where his story could go. At this point, the chances of Blade appearing in another MCU movie or TV show before his solo movie are 50/50, but just by talking to Dane, he’s setting up the formation of some interesting teams and teasing the MCU going on a much darker route in the near future.