One has to feel bad for Mahershala Ali. The guy was officially announced by Marvel as the new Blade way back in 2019, but six years later, not only has the film yet to go into production, but it also doesn’t have a finished script or a director, despite the film nearly going into production several times under the direction of Bassam Tariq and, later, Yann Demange. There have been loads of stories about the creative issues surrounding the film, with the consensus seeming to be that Marvel never had a handle on how to make a new film with the character. It was even rumoured at one point that Blade would essentially be a supporting player in a movie focused on female characters.
It’s hard not to think that the endless delays have impacted Ali’s career, with him having mostly stuck to voice roles in recent years (although his Netflix film – Leave the World Behind – was a smash hit). He’s going to be in Jurassic World: Rebirth, but considering he seems to be playing second (or even third) banana to Scarlett Johansson, it doesn’t seem like too much of a comeback role.
At the same time, Wesley Snipes – unexpectedly – reprised Blade in last summer’s Deadpool & Wolverine, with his unannounced role proving to be one of the most talked-about aspects of the film. It led to many calling for an “Old Man Blade movie”, including Ryan Reynolds, while the movie even had a dig at the reboot with Blade saying, “There’s only been one Blade. There’s only ever gonna be one Blade.” Given fan response, and that Marvel seems to have somewhat lost its way in recent years, maybe it would be better to make a Snipes Blade movie after all? Or should Marvel stick to the original plan and make a Mahershala Ali Blade film. Or, should both projects be scrapped and perhaps a new Blade be brought on board? We want to know what you think, so take our poll below and let us know!
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