Marvel Studios has plenty of projects in line for its MCU Phase 4, one of which is the new Blade reboot.
As it always happens when it comes to Marvel, details are scarce about the reboot. So we don’t know much about the project as the film won’t even begin production before July 2022. Mahershala Ali will play the half-vampire slayer with Bassam Tariq set to direct the flick.
The original Blade trilogy set the benchmark for superhero movies. Based on the comics created by Marv Wolfman, Wesley Snipes first portrayed the Daywalker when the first film was released in 1998.
Snipes’ Blade was a badass vampire hunter, and Tariq feels the same way. While speaking to IndieWire, the director talked about his MCU debut and mentioned Snipes’ version,
What’s exciting about the film that we’re making is [there] hasn’t been a canon for ‘Blade,’ as we’re reading through the comics and everything. Him being a daywalker is the one thing that’s been established, and you know we can’t deny what Wesley Snipes did, which was he basically got this whole ball rolling. A Black man created the superhero world that we’re in, that’s just the truth.
Bassam Tariq
Tariq was all praises for Ali and the film’s writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour,
For me to now be working with somebody as talented and a juggernaut as Mahershala Ali, and the writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour, I’m just so — I’m so honored to be working with real Black juggernauts and Black talent. For me to just be with them in this room and listen and learn as I build this out, it’s really an honor.
Bassam Tariq
In another interview with The Playlist Podcast, Tariq revealed his vision for the film and said he wants to focus on the character,
Character is very important for me. I don’t think of genre, I think of character. It’s not so boxed in as people imagine it to be. It’s quite exciting. And I think the reality is there is no ‘Blade’ canon, you know? If you ever read the comics, they’re always changing…Unfortunately, the [comic book series] never lasted that long.
Bassam Tariq
Back in February this year, Snipes spoke to UPROXX about his own Blade reboot, Blade-killer, calling the original films ‘white belts’ and that the new one would be ‘black belts.’
What we call our Blade-killer, our Blade on steroids. And we set our character in the world of shape-shifters and a little bit of time travel. But the action is going to be… Well, we did white belt action in Blade. Now we’re going to do black belt action.
Bassam Tariq
Snipes, however, isn’t involved in the MCU reboot but supported Mahershala Ali being cast for the role, saying, ‘he’s got a heck of a job on his hands.’
One thing that we can expect of Marvel is to use newly introduced characters in future MCU projects. With more titles about Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, Werewolf By Night currently in talks/production, it looks like the possibility of a Midnight Sons film or series isn’t far off.
Fans will have to wait a while till that happens as Blade does not have an official release date yet.
About Blade Reboot
Blade is an upcoming superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. It will be an installment of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2019, it was announced that Mahershala Ali would play the title character. Osei-Kuffour has been tapped to pen the film’s script.
Known as one of Marvel Comics’ darker heroes, Blade follows the story of the vampire hunter, who was born half-vampire himself.
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