It’s one thing to get cast in a film franchise as big as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s an entirely different thing to walk into Marvel’s office and not only cast yourself in a role but also build your own movie around him. And this is (almost) exactly what two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali did, according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
A Blade reboot has been a topic of discussion among film and comic fans alike over the years and at Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con panel last July 20, it was finally announced that the vampire-hunting half-vampire is going to have a brand new movie.
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Feige shared with Fandango: “We have, for years, wanted to find a new way into Blade. We love that character. We love that world. Now with Dr. Strange, and the supernatural elements coming into the MCU, it felt like we could definitely start exploring that. Mahershala wanted to come in and meet with us. And when Mahershala wants to meet, you take the meeting. And I think he had just come off of his second Academy Award. And we were talking very polite and he was talking about what a fan he is, and then he just cut right to it and was like ‘Blade’. And we were like, ‘Yes’.”
Mahershala isn’t a stranger to the Marvel universe. He played Cottonmouth in the Marvel series Luke Cage. When Feige was asked if this was going to play into the Blade film, he flat-out said ‘no’.
Aside from Mahershala being cast, no other details have been announced regarding the new film. It’s not officially part of Marvel’s Phase 4, but Phase 5, maybe? We’ll keep our eyes peeled for updates.
[ALSO READ: It’s Here: Marvel’s Phase 4 Lineup with Release Dates!]
What do you want to see in the new Blade movie?
