Marvel Studios' Blade: Release date, cast and latest news
The superhero vampire hunter is heading to the MCU.
Marvel fans, we've finally got some more details about Blade!
The vampire hunter epic had a rocky time last year, after it was revealed that production was put on hold and that it needed a new director.
However, it seems progress has been made, with Yann Demange on board to direct, and Mia Goth joining two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali on the cast according to Deadline.
Little is known about the plot of the reboot, but Blade’s backstory – a half-vampire called Eric Brooks determined to exterminate all bloodsuckers using his skills and supernatural abilities – is sure to make for a very different entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Plans for a new incarnation of Blade were first unveiled during Marvel’s presentation at 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con.
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But what can we expect from Ali's new Blade? What information has been released and who's in the cast? Check out everything we currently know about the Blade reboot below.
Marvel Studios' Blade release date
Blade is set for release on 6th September 2024. It was previously slated to arrive in cinemas on 3rd November 2023.
The 2023 release date was announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 and the film will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 5 and also The Multiverse Saga.
The film was officially announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 by Kevin Feige and he was joined on stage by star Mahershala Ali.
Filming is set to begin this summer, Feige recently revealed, following various delays. He told Entertainment Weekly: "It's going well. Our director Yann [Demange] is down in Atlanta right now. Cameras roll in, like, the next 10 weeks or so."
Who’s in the cast of Blade?
The following cast members have been confirmed for Marvel Studios' Blade.
- Mahershala Ali as Blade/Eric Cross Brooks
- Mia Goth as TBC
- Delroy Lindo as TBC
- Aaron Pierre as TBC
As noted, double Oscar winner Mahershala Ali has been cast in the central role of Blade, the half-vampire daywalker who hunts down creatures of the night in the Marvel universe.
Ali previously appeared in Netflix’s tie-in Marvel series Luke Cage as villain Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes and in the animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, so he definitely has some superhero pedigree, and apparently, he was pivotal in getting the Blade reboot made in the first place.
According to Marvel boss Kevin Feige, immediately after bagging his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Green Book, Ali called him to set up a meeting, and then pitched the concept of a Blade movie starring himself.
"When Mahershala calls, you answer," Feige told the Hollywood Reporter.
As mentioned above, Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods and The Harder They Fall) will star alongside Mahershala Ali in the upcoming Blade reboot in a mystery role.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lindo was in final negotiations to join Ali in Blade at the end of last year, but his role is unclear.
And now the cast of the Blade reboot is starting to come together, with The Underground Railroad star Aaron Pierre and Pearl star Mia Goth on board.
Deadline reports that Pierre signed on for an important role in the movie, though details about his role are yet to be disclosed - as with Goth's new role.
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However, Blade's voice only appeared in the post-credits scene of Eternals when Kit Harington's Dane Whitman handled the Ebony Blade. Perhaps we can expect the history professor to make an appearance here too.
An appearance from Whitman was hinted at by Eternals VFX Supervisor Stephane Ceretti when speaking to ComicBook.com.
Ceretti commented on the appearance of Whitman's Ebony Blade in the post-credits scene and noted: "The funny thing is my second on the show, which is Mårten Larsson my additional supervisor, is actually going to be supervising Blade very soon.
"So I told him, I said, 'I'm giving that to you as a gift, use it wisely and make good out of it.' But I'm sure it's going to do actually even better."
Is there a trailer for the new Blade film?
As the new Blade film has yet to officially begin filming, there is no sign of a trailer for the new film.
We will update this article and share the footage as soon as it becomes available.
Wasn’t there a Blade movie before?
Yes there was – three in fact, all of which starred Wesley Snipes as the titular vampire-hunter from 1998 to 2004, and which are sometimes credited with kicking off the modern age of superhero cinema in which we’re now living.
The first Blade and Blade II were particularly critically acclaimed and also starred Kris Kristofferson, Stephen Dorff, Donnie Yen, Danny John-Jules and Donal Logue among others, though third movie Blade: Trinity (which added Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel to the action) was less popular and ended the franchise (apart from an attempted TV reboot with a new cast in 2006).
And despite some consternation from his fans (who would have liked to see him return) Snipes has given Ali his blessing in taking over the role.
“To all the DAYWALKERS losing their minds right now, chillaaxx,” said Snipes in a statement to TheWrap.
“Although the news comes as a surprise, it’s ALL GOOD. Such is the ‘business’ of ‘entertainment!’ Much peace to the MCU crew — always a fan. Honor and respect to the grandmaster Stan.
“Congratulations and Salaam to Mahershala Ali, a beautiful and talented artist whose expressions I look forward to experiencing for many years to come. Inshallah, we will someday work together.”
Blade is set for release in 2024. Looking for something else to watch? You can watch most of the MCU movies now on Disney Plus – sign up now for £7.99 per month or £79.90 for a full year.
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