Mahershala Ali is going from Luke Cage to Alita: Battle Angel

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Ah, it must be great to Mahershala Ali. Not only does he have an awesome name, but he’s in the most talked about show right now (LUKE CAGE), has a recurring spot on another huge show (HOUSE OF CARDS), and he's considered by many pundits to be a force to be reckoned with in the Best Supporting Actor race for next year’s Oscars for his work in the critically-acclaimed MOONLIGHT. Now, he’s about to join a big-ass movie.

THR reports that Ali will join the heavily-anticipated ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL from director Robert Rodriguez and producer James Cameron. Ali will play one of the film’s villains as a man named Vector, who runs matches in a game called Motorball, a gladiator-style event.

Ali joins an already impressive cast that features Christoph Waltz and Jackie Earle Haley in the film about a woman who wakes up with no memory, but is still able to use her martial arts skills to put the hurt on bad guys and become a bounty hunter. Think the BOURNE movies with slightly less Matt Damon.

I’m a big fan of Ali’s work as Remy Danton in HOUSE OF CARDS, and thought he took it to another level as Cottonmouth in LUKE CAGE. Needless to say, I’m pumped to see him in MOONLIGHT which, as I said, is getting him serious awards traction. Now that he’s in BATTLE ANGEL I’m all the more excited to see the flick, a movie wherein the pedigree of talent involved alone has me all goosebump-y. I guess I could read the manga to quench my excitement, but I would, like, have to get up and find the books. That's a whole thing.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL is set for July 20, 2018 with Rosa Salazar, Mahershala Ali, Jackie Earle Haley, Christoph Waltz and Ed Skrein.