Avengers: Secret Wars is expected to serve as a soft reboot for the MCU, creating a reality inhabited by the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four. We're expecting either that or Avengers: Doomsday to introduce a new Black Panther, but it may not be the only big introduction.
It's been seven years since Mahershala Ali was revealed as the MCU Blade, and five years since the actor's voice cameo as the Daywalker in 2021's Eternals (a Variant appeared in the animated Marvel Zombies, but "Blade Knight" was not voiced by the Oscar-winner).
Much has been said about potential plans for the character, with it looking increasingly likely that Marvel Studios will pivot from a Blade movie to the vampire hunter taking centre stage in a team-up project like Midnight Sons.
However, in an apparent bid to boost awareness of the character before the next Saga of storytelling, it's now said that Ali will play Blade in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. The Hot Mic's Jeff Sneider shared the rumour, corroborating a May 2026 report from Daniel Richtman.
However, the latter didn't specify which Blade it would be, leading to speculation that Wesley Snipes might play the Daywalker again after his memorable Deadpool & Wolverine cameo. Instead, it seems we'll finally get to see what Ali can do with the character.
For what it's worth, insider @MyTimeToShineH is also reporting today that The Batman star Robert Pattinson is being eyed for a "huge" MCU role. His name has previously been brought up in connection with Ghost Rider.
It was way back in 2019 at the San Diego Comic-Con that Marvel Studios President Feige welcomed Ali to the MCU by announcing a Blade reboot. Three years later, the executive told fans in Hall H that the reboot would arrive in theaters on November 3, 2023. It then moved to September 6, 2024, and eventually slipped further down the calendar to February 14, 2025.
For a time, Blade was eyeing a November 7, 2025, release. For a time, it looked like the movie might meet that date, but it was soon removed from Marvel Studios' schedule altogether and taken back to the drawing board (having been through multiple creative teams).
We've since seen both Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange attached to direct before creative differences became a problem. Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Beau DeMayo, Michael Starrbury, Nic Pizzolatto, Michael Green, and Eric Pearson have all also worked on different versions of the script.
The confirmed cast of Avengers: Secret Wars includes Robert Downey Jr. (Doctor Doom), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Paul Bettany (The Vision), Letitia Wright (Black Panther), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), and Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter).
Also appearing are Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing), and Sadie Sink.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron has also been enlisted to refine the story.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.