Kit Harington admits he took "Eternals" role but not because it was "different and interesting"

The actor, who appears in the third season of HBO's "Industry," also weighs in on the scrapped Jon Snow project

By Gabriella Ferrigine

Staff Writer

Published August 14, 2024 2:22PM (EDT)

Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) and Sersi (Gemma Chan) in "Eternals" (Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios)
Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) and Sersi (Gemma Chan) in "Eternals" (Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios)

Actor Kit Harington has elaborated on his past role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in an interview with GQ, saying that passing up the opportunity was simply not an option. 

“I’m not gonna pretend I took that [role] because it was different and interesting," the "Game of Thrones" star shared. "If Marvel calls, you gotta do it.”

In 2021 Harington made a brief appearance in Marvel's "Eternals," playing the role of Dane Whitman. The movie was reportedly meant to establish Harington as the Marvel character Black Knight, setting the stage for a subsequent "Blade" film that would feature the character. However, a poor box office showing for "Eternals" ultimately saw the planned follow-up movie scrapped. According to GQ, Harington still enjoyed playing Dane, however, and is down to reprise the role should Marvel reconsider.

"Blade" isn't the only potential franchise return of Harington's that fell through. In April, he confirmed that a spinoff series based on his "Game of Thrones" character Jon Snow,was no longer in the works at HBO. "Currently, it's off the table, because we all couldn't find the right story to tell that we were all excited about enough," Harington told Screen Rant. "So, we decided to lay down tools with it for the time being. There may be a time in the future where we return to it, but at the moment, no. It's firmly on the shelf."