Marvel fans who are very worried about the fate of Blade can breathe a little easier following the news that Kevin Feige has officially confirmed that the reboot, starring Mahershala Ali as the iconic vampire hunter, is still in the works. While Blade has faced multiple release delays and currently remains undated, Feige assured fans that the project is very much alive, as he stated in an interview with Omelete at D23 in Brazil over the weekend. Feige also appeared at the convention in-person to introduce the upcoming Marvel slate for 2025.
The reassurance comes as a relief, particularly to those of us who have become numb to the news of the film being delayed or besieged by problems, to date. It’s welcome news, too, for fans of the legendary character and its actor, the Oscar-winning Ali, who joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2019 and has since made only a vocal cameo in Eternals. Feige said:
“We’re committed to Blade. 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.”
Who Is Blade, Anyway?
Also known as Eric Brooks, Blade made his first appearance in The Tomb of Dracula #10 in 1973. Blade is a unique character within the Marvel universe, known for his vampire-hunting skills and his status as a “Daywalker”—a half-human, half-vampire hybrid with the strengths of vampires but none of their weaknesses (except for a thirst for blood, which he controls).
His character was made popular by the Blade film trilogy starring Wesley Snipes in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which helped establish Marvel‘s presence in film before the MCU era. Snipes recently reprised his role as the character in Deadpool & Wolverine in an appearance that caused more than a stir and created some new speculation as to whether or not he would continue to be Blade, instead of Ali. Now, it seems, we have the answer.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on the future of Blade as it continues its long journey to the big screen. Be sure to check out more of our updates from all the big news that made its way to fans over the weekend at the blockbuster D23 event.
via Collider