Key Takeaways:
– Mahershala Ali has been cast as Blade, replacing Wesley Snipes who played the character in three earlier films.
– Other cast members include Delroy Lindo and possibly Mia Goth; Aaron Pierre's character was reportedly dropped from the script.
– Scripts have been written by several writers including Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Michael Starrbury, and Nic Pizzolatto.
– The project has experienced directorial changes, with Yann Demange presently set to helm.
– A possible storyline involves Lilith going after Blade's daughter's blood to create an army of Daywalkers.
– Despite multiple shifts in release dates, current information points towards a November 7, 2025, theatrical release.
Surprise! A reboot of Blade as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is in the works. This news, announced back in 2019 at the San Diego Comic-Con, got fans buzzing.
For those unaware, Blade is a fiercely cool character, previously portrayed by Wesley Snipes in three feature films and briefly on TV by Sticky Fingaz. This time around, the character comes to life through two-time Oscar winner, Mahershala Ali. In a podcast interview, Ali admitted to eyeing the role even before it was officially his.
Wesley Snipes, the original Blade, was pretty cool about handing over the mantle to Ali, even offering him some friendly advice for the challenging role ahead. In his words, “make sure you're in shape, try not to get hurt, and enjoy it while it lasts”.
Supporting Ali in the film is Delroy Lindo, who joined the cast back in November 2021. Aaron Pierre was also rumoured to be part of the project, but reports hint at his character being dropped through script changes. Mia Goth, who came on board in 2023, is rumoured to play the villainous character, Lilith.
We also have little nuggets of casting news about potential characters “Abid”, “Huntley”, and “Faiza”. These characters hint at the possible inclusion of Blade's fellow vampire hunters from the comic book Tomb of Dracula.
Ali's debut as Blade happened with a cameo in the movie Eternals, where he stops Dane Whitman, played by Kit Harington, from touching a mystical sword.
What about the script? Marvel roped in several high-profile writers. The list includes Stacy Osei-Kuffour, known for TV shows Watchmen and PEN15, Michael Starrbury (When They See Us), Nic Pizzolatto (True Detective), Beau DeMayo (The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf), and Michael Green (Logan). They started with the script, but time has seen rewrites.
Speaking of time, Blade seems to have a slippery grasp on a film schedule. Initial plans considered 2021, then pushed to July of 2022, before proposing 2023. A host of issues – creative sparks, writer's strike, actor's strike – resulted in frequent delays.
Blade has also seen director changes. Succeeding Bassam Tariq, director Yann Demange was on board. But, Demange let go of the project for unnamed reasons, causing another director hunt. Rumour has it that Jordan Peele might be in the cards; let's wait and watch.
Coming to the movie's rating, it wasn't always certain the MCU Blade would have an R-rating like the earlier movies. However, Demange could convince Marvel for an R-rating. Will this still hold now with Demange not part of the team? Time will tell.
On plot speculation, the buzz suggests the story might revolve around Lilith targeting Blade's daughter's blood to create Daywalkers. Rumours also suggest Lilith might use the mystical Ebony Blade, introduced in Eternals.
We know Blade's release journey has seen shifts, but right now, it aims for a November 7, 2025, release. While we can't be sure if it would be 2025, 2026, or not at all, that's a scoop on everything we know about MCU's Blade Reboot so far. Keep your excitement on hold!
