The MCU Blade reboot is one of the most anticipated movies in Marvel’s cinematic universe, but the Daywalker’s return has already faced obstacles. Wesley Snipes famously played Eric Brooks in three Blade movies starting in the late 1990s, finishing with 2004 flop Blade: Trinity. Years later, at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige made the surprise announcement that an MCU Blade reboot was in development. Mahershala Ali will play Marvel’s Daywalker in the MCU, and the new Blade movie will be a total revamp of the franchise without Wesley Snipes.
Marvel’s new Blade movie is one of a handful of previously non-Disney IPs that will get MCU debuts in the next few years, including Deadpool 3 in 2024 and Marvel’s Fantastic Four in 2025. Originally slated for a 2023 release date, Blade has had several delays and is currently still in production. The first promo materials such as a logo and casting news have been revealed, and new Blade news is trickling through every month. Here’s everything that’s known about the Blade MCU movie so far.
Contents
MCU’s Blade Reboot: Latest News
Even with all the excitement over the MCU Blade reboot, the movie hasn’t had a smooth production so far. Though filming was originally due to start filming in November 2022, the movie lost its original director, Bassam Tariq in September 2022 due to a shifting production schedule. The Blade reboot has faced challenges but seems to be back on the right track with director Yann Demange stepping to sort out its production issues — which reportedly included a script rewrite with input from Mahershala Ali. Most recently, Kevin Feige let slip that the MCU Blade reboot is aiming to begin filming in Summer 2023 (via CBR).
MCU’s Blade Reboot Is Confirmed
The MCU Blade reboot is confirmed to be released as the final movie of Phase 5. Following the MCU regaining the rights to the character, there were constant speculations about whether the vampire hunter would be brought into the cinematic universe. Finally, it was confirmed along with other upcoming MCU projects at Marvel’s Comic-Con 2019 panel appearance that the movie was in the works as Mahershala Ali came to the stage to close out the Marvel presentation. Though there have been more delays and production issues than most MCU projects, the continued production updates confirm that this long-awaited movie is still very much on the way.
MCU’s Blade Reboot: Release Date
Initially, the MCU Blade reboot was scheduled for a 2023 release date. However, that has been pushed back following the behind-the-scenes issues with the movie. The new MCU Blade release date is now September 6, 2024. This is in no small part due to initial Blade director Bassam Tariq stepping down, which led to an inevitable production delay. With new director Yann Demange signed on for the movie, the new release date should be secure with filming set to start in Summer 2023. This shifts Blade to become the last movie in Phase 5 of the MCU. Several other Marvel movies were delayed alongside Blade, so it’s clearly important to the wider Multiverse Saga narrative and the set-up to Avengers: Secret Wars.
MCU’s Blade Reboot: Cast
The cast of the MCU Blade reboot will be led by Mahershala Ali. After Ali’s Oscar-winning roles in Moonlight and Green Book, as well as his stint in Luke Cage as Cornell Stokes/Cottonmouth, the actor approached Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige to express his interest in playing Eric Brooks in the MCU. Marvel didn’t have plans to make Blade at the time, but Ali’s talent and interest made it easy for Feige to change that. Ali won’t be alone in the movie, though, as Marvel will find another great collection of co-stars, potentially even including other MCU characters like Midnight Sons members Moon Knight or Doctor Strange (played by Oscar Isaac and Benedict Cumberbatch respectively).
Characters introduced in Werewolf By Night such as Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), Man-Thing, or Jack Russell (the titular werewolf, played by Gael García Bernal) could also show up since they’re part of the world of Marvel monsters the Daywalker walks in. The vampire heads on the wall in Werewolf By Night were also a strong hint here. Apart from Ali, Blade’s cast includes Da 5 Bloods‘ Delroy Lindo and The Underground Railroad‘s Aaron Pierre in as-yet-undisclosed roles. Kit Harington’s Eternals character, Dane Whitman (who becomes Black Knight in Marvel comics continuity), may also make an appearance after Ali’s Blade met him in the Eternals post-credits scene.
MCU’s Blade Reboot: Story Details
Story details for the MCU Blade reboot have yet to be revealed or even teased. It will likely involve pieces of Blade’s origin and how he became a vampire slayer, but the majority of the movie will presumably follow Eric as an established and experienced hunter. This would allow the film to answer where Blade has been throughout the MCU’s history. Blade‘s actual story will likely depend on which of his many supernatural villains Marvel makes him fight in his first film.
The 2022 Disney+ Halloween special Werewolf By Night introduced what some of these threats could be, and established that monsters, including vampires, have been around in the MCU for centuries. While this isn’t a massive spoiler in and of itself, it does mean Marvel has the scope to skip Eric Brook’s origin story entirely, jumping straight into him being an established vampire slayer for Blade.
Blade Already Made His MCU Debut In Eternals
The MCU’s new Blade movie was heavily teased when Mahershala Ali’s Eric Brooks warns Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman about using the Ebony Blade in Eternals‘ post-credits scene. Although Ali’s voice is only featured in the cameo, it is technically the first appearance for the Daywalker in an actual MCU movie. More importantly, this scene from Eternals provides clues about what could happen and who could show up in Blade.
Also known in Marvel Comics as the dark counterpart to the legendary Excalibur, the Ebony Blade confers godlike abilities at the cost of magnifying the wielder’s bloodlust, with both the sword and the wielder growing more powerful with each fresh kill. While the Ebony Blade is dangerous enough in the hands of Dane Whitman aka The Black Knight – whose Arthurian bloodline means that he is essentially immortal while holding the sword – the weapon could be even deadlier if it’s wielded alongside the Daywalker. Combined with the hype for the new movie, this has led to fan theories regarding why Blade wants Dane Whitman’s sword for himself, which could be what the post-credits scene of Eternals was setting up.
The MCU Blade reboot could also be part of the setup for the MCU’s take on Midnight Sons, a team-up that in Marvel Comics also includes Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Punisher, Moon Knight, Morbius, and Doctor Strange. In short, there are a number of ways for Blade to carve out a unique new niche in the MCU Phase 4’s ongoing storylines, with plenty of room for many other long-anticipated Marvel characters to make their MCU debut. Curiously, Eric Brooks’ interest in the Ebony Blade implies that the Daywalker may have a huge role not just in Midnight Sons, but potentially even in the next Avengers team-up.
Apart from being able to slice through anything except the wielder, the Ebony Blade can open portals to other dimensions, similar to America Chavez’s powers in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This is only possible if the wielder of the Ebony Blade gives in to the bloodlust and allows the sword to take over their soul, which already sounds like the perfect way for Blade to start carving his way through vampires in the MCU.