Mahershala Ali has gracefully sidestepped inquiries concerning "Blade." During an appearance on Vogue's "Off the Cuff," where he was joined by his "Jurassic World Rebirth" co-stars Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey, Ali cleverly evaded Bailey's question about their shared Marvel film credits. With a playful grin, Ali quipped, "Leave me out of it; that's a Scarlett-exclusive inquiry." Bailey, ever the joker, retorted, "Well, there's one we're all buzzing about," subtly alluding to Ali's long-anticipated "Blade" reboot.
Although the comic book adaptation featuring the daylight-walking vampire hunter has languished in development purgatory for six years, Ali recently affirmed his readiness to reprise the iconic role to Variety. At the New York premiere of "Jurassic World Rebirth," he declared, "Call Marvel. I'm ready. Let them know I'm standing by."
First unveiled in 2019, "Blade" has witnessed a revolving door of actors and directors, with Marvel struggling to get the project off the launching pad. Despite these persistent hurdles, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige assured fans at D23 Brazil 2024 of the comic book giant's unwavering commitment to bringing "Blade" back to the silver screen. "We adore the character. We're enthralled by Mahershala's interpretation," Feige expressed. "And be assured: whenever we pivot a project's direction or are still sorting out its scheduling, we keep our audience informed. You're all in the loop. But let me assure you, the character will undeniably make its MCU debut."
Recently, it emerged that Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" utilized costumes originally intended for "Blade," which ultimately went unused due to production obstacles. Producer Sev Ohanian shed light on the situation, explaining, "[Costume designer] Ruth Carter was hard at work on the 'Blade' movie that unfortunately never saw the light of day. There was a time when that film was set to explore a similar era as 'Sinners.' Ruth happened to have a warehouse brimming with era-appropriate attire, and with 'Sinners' needing to shoot practically overnight, Marvel was kind enough to allow us to purchase those costumes at a fair price."
