Dane Whitman -- aka Black Knight -- will begin to have a larger presence in the Marvel Universe, with a one-shot that ties in to the events of King in Black and a new ongoing series titled Curse of the Ebony Blade. Writer Simon Spurrier wants to use these comics as a way to give Dane Whitman a fresh slate ahead of his Marvel Studios debut in Eternals.
"The Black Knight, especially the Dane Whitman version, has gone through so many challenges and traumas as a character, but he's also been in the hands of so many different creators who've approached him from so many different directions," Spurrier told CBR. "If you tried to pitch this character to someone who's never heard of him you're going to struggle. I tend to be drawn to those characters like a moth to a flame."
Spurrier also said the King in Black one-shot will set the path for Whitman going forward and showcase how he approaches the character. "We're going to pay respect to everything that has come before, but we've found a way to condense and simplify things so we can say, 'Here's this guy. He's a hero. He's really screwed up, and here's his thing. Go!' Hopefully, that's what we've done by the end of our King in Black one-shot; establish a slightly new take on the character that's respectful to everything that's gone on before."
King in Black: Black Knight goes on sale in February and features Spurrier and artist Jesús Saiz telling a story of Whitman going up against the God of the Symbiotes Knull and his dark army. Curse of the Ebony Blade teams Spurrier with Sergio Dávila and features Whitman exploring the true nature of King Arthur's court. Issue #1 goes on sale in March.