Back in 2019, I was able to get into Hall H for Marvel Studios' panel and was utterly gobsmacked whenMahershala Aliwas announced as Blade. Ali was becoming a familiar face thanks to his work onMoonlightandSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Blade is one of my all-time favorite Marvel characters. It seemed like a match made in heaven…yetBladehas beenstuck in development hell for six years. Multiple directors, writers, and cast members boarded and departedBlade, but the details of this new take on the Daywalker remained under wraps…until now.
Costume designerRuth E. Carterwas a guest on theJohn Campea Show, where she revealed thatshe was hired to work on the costumesforBlade. Carter also said thatBladewas meant to be a period piece set in the1920s: “I was preppingBladefor Marvel, and it was a 1920s Blade story, and it got shut down because of the writers’ strike and the actors’ strike. I was just in limbo, having done a lot of research for this period piece about a vampire," Carter’s commentsonly make me want to seeBladehit the big screen,even if it has to go through a few changes.
Doing a Period Piece for ‘Blade’ Would Dig Into a Tragic Element of the Character
Doing a film set in the past might seem like an unorthodox approach to Blade,but it plays into the tragic underpinnings of his half-vampire nature. He often struggles with his vampiric impulses to drink blood,but he’s also gained a healing factor,and with it, slowed down aging. I believe the right filmmaker could showcase how Blade’s battle against vampires has stretched over the decades and even explore how difficult it is for him to make friends or family. What happens when he has to watch his loved ones get older while he stays roughly the same age, or they fall victim to a vampire?Bladecould have also touched upon heavier themes given its period setting.Delroy Lindo,who was set to star inBlade, said the character he was meant to play drew inspiration from activistMarcus Garvey.
Ruth E. Carter’s reveal ofBladeas a period piece also highlights a major elephant in the room, and I think it needs to be discussed: the idea of a 1920s horror film involving vampiresis the same setup asSinners.Ryan Coogler’s horror epic ignited a major bidding war when it was first announced, with Warner Bros. winning that war (and currently reaping the rewards). Another major parallel is the fact thatCarter also served as a costume designer onSinners, meaning that ifBladedoes get to the silver screen, its story will have to be heavily reworked. Thankfully, there’s another angleBladecould take, and it involves the originalBladetrilogy.
The ‘Blade’ Reboot Should Tackle an Abandoned Idea From ‘Blade: Trinity’
During a set visittoBlade: Trinity,David S. Goyerrevealed his initial plans for the Daywalker’s third outing.Blade: Trinitywas originally slated to take place in the far future,with vampires becoming the dominant species on Earth. Blade would continue to be a thorn in the vampires' side due to his slow aging, and had to deal with a planet shrouded in eternal night. Goyer would eventually pivot to a different story involving Dracula, but the idea of a post-apocalyptic Blade story is way too good to pass up.
It’s a fresh take on the Blade mythos, and it flips the script: Blade was often feared by vampires, but having a story where they outnumber him is ripe with potential. It could also let Marvel Studios explore the post-apocalyptic genre - the idea was briefly flirted with inDeadpool & Wolverine(which features the original Blade,Wesley Snipes), but an entire movie set in a futuristic landscape would be a truly unexpected leap forward for the MCU.
‘Blade’ Is in a Creative Flux, but One MCU Movie Could Clear Its Path to Production
If Marvel Studios wants a truly fresh start forBlade, it could depend on the aftermath ofAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars. DirectorsJoeandAnthony Russohave described their latest Avengers movies as “a new beginning” for the MCU,which all but hints at a reboot. Not only would that be a license to pushBladeforward, but if it’s one of the first movies to come out of a potential reboot, it holds immense significance considering the originalBladeisa major pillar of the modern superhero boom.
Fans won’t have to wait too long to see Mahershala Ali’s take on Blade, as a version of the Daywalkerwho inherited Moon Knight’s powerswill play a major role in the upcomingMarvel Zombiesminiseries. I just hope we get to see Ali’s Blade sooner rather than later.
