We’ve been waiting a really, really, really long time for this movie but the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s upcoming Blade film is now finally on track. Marvel hired Watchmen writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour to pen the script for the reboot film that will finally bring the iconic vampire hunter into the MCU fold. As for the director, Marvel has brought Bassam Tariq onboard to helm the project. Tariq is perhaps best known for his work on Mogul Mowgli.
The new Blade movie was first announced in July 2019 during San Diego Comic-Con. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced the film and confirmed that it would star multiple-Oscar winner Mahershala Ali in the lead role.
The original Blade trilogy starring Wesley Snipes was massively popular (even if it wasn’t always a hit with critics). The movies helped bring Marvel’s vampire hero into the daylight and boosted his popularity, at a time when the MCU didn’t even look like a remote possibility. It also spawned a short-lived TV series.
All eyes are going to be on the new reboot when it comes out and fingers crossed, it looks like it’ll be worth the watch. It’s still early days with the film and not much is known about the project but we do have a few key details to share about the upcoming MCU movie. So we’ve put together everything we know about the new Blade movie so far, from the plot and casting details to updates on filming and release dates.
What is the New Blade Movie’s Title?
There have been some rumors online that the movie will be called Blade, the Vampire Slayer. But this isn’t something that has been announced and considering how similar that sounds to Buffy, it seems really unlikely that that’s the direction Marvel wants to go in. For the time being, it looks like the movie will just be called Blade like the 1998 Wesley Snipes film.
Who Is In the New Blade Movie Cast?
Mahershala Ali is the only actor currently confirmed to be on the new Blade movie’s cast. At the moment, Marvel doesn’t even have a finalized script ready for the movie so it’s unlikely that there will be any new casting news for a while. However, keep an eye on this section because we will be updating it with the latest casting news as soon as it’s announced.
Who Are the Confirmed Characters in the New Blade Movie?
Again, considering how early in the process we currently are, the only character actually confirmed for the movie is Ali’s Blade himself. But considering the new movie will have to integrate the character into the MCU, it’s possible that some other heroes and villains from the shared universe might show up.
The obvious choices would be Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Doctor Strange or Elizabeth Olsen‘s Scarlet Witch. Both Strange and Blade have been part of Marvel’s Midnight Sons super-team, which brought together the greatest supernatural heroes of the comic book universe. Could we be getting an MCU Midnight Sons reunion? Maybe, who knows?
Speaking of cameos by other heroes, you know what would be awesome? If Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) were to show up in the new Blade movie. Reynolds was in the third Blade movie, Blade: Trinity, where he played Hannibal King. And you just know that that would be used as a punchline if Wade met Blade.
Wishful thinking aside, we’re really just going to have to wait and see what characters are announced for the movie. After all, Blade has had a laundry list of allies, enemies, allies-turned-enemies, and enemies-turned-reluctant-allies in the comics. From Deacon Frost (the vampire who indirectly created Blade) to the legendary Dracula (Blade’s archenemy), literally anyone could show up. So stay tuned for updates!
What Is the New Blade Movie’s Plot?
As we’ve already said, the new Blade movie’s script hasn’t been finalized yet so there hasn’t been any news on the plot. With any luck, we’ll probably get a synopsis or some details on the movie’s story as we get closer to the start of filming. Of course, we do know the character’s comic book origin story, which could be the basis for the upcoming film.
Blade’s mother was attacked by a vampire when she was pregnant with him. After going into labor, the woman died but gave birth to a unique half-human half-vampire baby who was named Eric Brooks. Once he grew up, Eric took up the name “Blade” and began to use his abilities as a Daywalker to hunt down other vampires.
Considering it’s been over twenty years since the first Blade movie came out, the new film could give a recap of this origin story so that new fans can stay in the loop. But it’s just as possible that the MCU might skip over the origins and get right into the meat of the story. Another option would be to introduce Blade in an earlier movie and then use his solo film as a way of further exploring the character. This approach worked with Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man and there’s no reason to think it wouldn’t work for Blade.
In any case, the reboot isn’t going to be too concerned with sticking to the comics canon. At least, that’s what director Bassam Tariq has said so far. Speaking in an interview with Gizmodo, Tariq had this to say on the topic:
“What’s so great is it’s not as boxed in as I think people imagine it to be, which I thought it was. But it’s quite exciting, and I think the reality is there is no Blade canon. In some comics, his name is Fred H. Blade, you know, instead of Eric Brooks. Unfortunately, the runs never lasted that long, and there have been some interesting and exciting waves. But I can say [the new movie is] character first.”
When Is the New Blade Movie’s Release Date?
While the new Blade movie’s release date hasn’t been announced yet, we can make an educated guess. Marvel currently has two unassigned release dates for 2023: July 28, 2023, and November 3, 2023. If Blade does start filming in July 2022, it should easily be able to make either date. Marvel also has the new Fantastic Four movie coming up so the real question is which one will be released first.
If Marvel wants to end Phase 4 with Fantastic Four and then release Blade, then the most likely scenario would be that Blade comes out in November, just after Halloween 2023. Now don’t get your hopes up too high because this is ultimately all just speculation. Fans will have to wait until Marvel gives official confirmation on the release date.
The studio has been planning this reboot since all the way back in 2013, so what’s a little longer, right? And whenever it finally gets to theaters, it does look like the new Blade will be one hell of a movie.
