Kit Harington Reveals What He Wants From The Future Of The MCU - Exclusive
Kit Harington plays Dane Whitman in "Eternals." It's a small, but not unimportant, role: As Sersi's human boyfriend, their connection offers tangible stakes for her to save the world. Marvel Studios wasn't going to cast an actor as big as Harington merely as "the boyfriend" — they had bigger plans. Said plans were hinted at throughout the movie, with references to his uncle and family history, and overtly shown in a post-credits scene where he approaches a sword.
Comics fans knew from the outset that Dane Whitman is the Black Knight. Harington, however, might not have known — and, as he told Looper, he doesn't know what comes next, but he does have hopes.
"I know that and people just won't believe me if I say this," he told us, "so I say it with a huge sigh, but I really don't know anything. No one does. I Googled who the character is. I've seen stuff on the internet, but as far as who I'm playing in this, it's Dane Whitman in the 'Eternals.' I've not been privy to any more information than that. I hope I have a future. I hope that this is the start of a longer journey within this world because that's really the hope that I signed up for."
Fewer green boxes, please
We also asked Harington how he reacted to VFX like a bus exploding or clones when there's nothing next to him until post. Given that he's had plenty of experience operating around dragons and magic, he's probably an expert. His response was simple: "You just do. I know that sounds a bit of a boring answer, but you just do. More and more now in film work you have to use your imagination in that way. And try and not just let it be a facial expression, try and let it be a feeling as well. That's the work."
He also took this moment to express something else he wanted from the future of the MCU, and Hollywood as a whole: getting away from sterile soundstages. "We were lucky in this," he recounted. "There's a tendency towards, and I hope it doesn't become the norm of literally working in a green box, or a blue box, with nothing else around you. No set. I think that's too far." Zhao's directing style proved a boon in this regard: "In this, Chloe had us working in Camden on the streets of Camden, and we had to imagine certain elements around it, but we were ... shooting on location. That is doable. Working in an entirely green box with nothing built is, I think, a mistake."
"Eternals" is in theaters now.