When Marvel Studios announced its upcoming slate of Phase 4 and Phase 5 films, the biggest shock was the introduction of Mahershala Ali on stage as the actor that is going to take on a new film version of “Blade.” No one saw it coming, but everyone was instantly excited for what the Oscar-winning actor could bring to the vampire hunter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But even though that seemed like an announcement that came out of nowhere, Ali recently explained that the deal to get “Blade” back on the big screen has taken years to come together.
Speaking to The Tight Rope podcast, Ali was asked about how he came aboard “Blade” and why the character is someone he’s wanting to take on. And according to the actor, we have the “Luke Cage” series to thank for the new “Blade” franchise.
“I did this Marvel show for Netflix called ‘Luke Cage,’ right?” explained Ali. “So, in doing that show, the day it premiered I had turned to my agent and I had said, ‘What are they doing with “Blade?”’ Because I kept hearing that they were trying to find a way to remake it and put it back together, and it was exciting for me to get to be in that Marvel space in TV, but for me, my goal had always been film.”
He continued, “So, there was this long process of them speaking about, at least in the television division, really wanted to make it a TV show again, but not necessarily, trying to acquire the rights still, and some thing’s kinda going on, so it took a couple of years…”
If you’re confused by him saying that Marvel wanted to make “Blade” a TV show “again,” don’t forget about the short-lived TV series that was inspired by the Snipes films. It was…not good.
As for why Ali was attracted to “Blade” in particular, interestingly enough, it had less to do with the character’s origins and story, and it had more to do with the fact that Ali has always respected “Blade” actor Wesley Snipes and was inspired by him over the course of his career. Well, that and the fact that Blade is a very different, darker character than traditional Marvel heroes.
“For me, I just felt like since they were having conversations about bringing it back into being, I just wanted to be considered for it because I had definitely a connection, at least in my mind, to Wesley Snipes going way back to high school when people used to joke and say we looked alike, and all this stuff,” the actor said.
READ MORE: Kevin Feige Says Phase 5, Which Includes ‘Blade,’ Is Already Set & Ready To Be Revealed
“So, I just brought it up as someone who wanted to, I really wanted to take on that role, and tackle that,” Ali added. “Also…I love that it’s darker, that’s all in terms of tone, he’s a little bit darker than some of the other ones, and so that element was attractive to me.”
It’s unclear when “Blade” will finally make it on the big screen again. Considering the delays to the Phase 4 lineup due to COVID, it’s likely we’re still a few years off from seeing the vampire hunter return theaters. That said, it does appear that Marvel Studios is in the process of looking for writers right now. You can hear the entire podcast below: