Wesley Snipes’ Blade might think there’s only ever gonna be one Blade (along with half the Marvel fanbase, given the development troubles Marvel’s long-planned MCU reboot has been through these past few years), but not so according to Marvel chief Kevin Feige who has reiterated the studio’s commitment to the Mahershali Ali-led reboot.
If you’ve been keeping track, Oscar-winner Ali was first announced as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Eric Brooks way back in 2019, and although he delivered a line of dialogue in a post-credits scene to Eternals, the solo movie has passed through the hands of multiple writers and directors, most recently Yann Demange (White Boy Rick), who bailed back in June ahead of a planned November start.
Since then we’ve seen Wesley Snipes make a surprise return as the Daywalker in Deadpool & Wolverine to much fanfare, and with word last month that the reboot has been pulled from Marvel’s release schedule and delayed indefinitely, there’s naturally been some speculation that the studio could be looking to abandon its plans and go in a different direction. However, that’s not the case according to Kevin Feige, who – as well as dropping new trailers for Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World – doubled down on promising that Mahershala Ali’s Blade will make it to the MCU proper.
“We’re committed to Blade,” said Feige in an interview with Omelete. “We love the character, we love Mahershala’s version of him, and rest assured, whenever we change direction with a project, or are still trying to figure out how it fits into our schedule, we let the public know. You’re updated on what’s going on. But I can say that the character will make it to the MCU.”
Are you still excited at the prospect of seeing Mahershali Ali as Blade? Do you think the reboot will ever see the light of day? Let us know on our socials @FlickeringMyth…