When the first trailer for Black Panther director Ryan Coogler's Sinners was released, many people pointed out that it had, in some ways, left Marvel Studios' long-delayed Blade movie surplus to requirement.
Coogler's horror epic was a surprise hit, grossing $364 million worldwide and receiving widespread critical acclaim. However, it being a vampire movie led by a Black actor (with a 1920s setting) wasn't the only thing it had in common with Blade.
During an interview with ScreenCrush, Sinners producer Sev Ohanian shared a "fun Marvel easter egg" when he revealed that many of the costumes used by background actors in the movie were originally planned for Blade when it was being developed as a period piece.
"[Costume designer] Ruth Carter was working on the Blade movie that ended up not shooting," he revealed. "At one point that movie was going to deal with, and she’s talked about this before, but at one point that film was going to deal with the past around the same era as 'Sinners.'"
"She happened to have a warehouse full of period-appropriate clothes, and it was like, 'Yo, we got to shoot this movie like tomorrow,'" Ohanian continued. "And Marvel was generous enough and kind enough to let us basically purchase it at price."
He later clarified that while "a lot of the background actors" wore the clothes made for Blade, the movie's stars had newly created, original costumes.
Marvel Studios has repeatedly failed to get Blade off the ground, but this version of the movie came closest to happening. Set in the 1920s, filmmaker Yann Demange was at the helm and cast Mia Goth as Lilith, an ancient demon-vampire goddess who wanted the blood of Blade's daughter. A huge train track set was built but never used, and plans for a 1920s-set Blade have since been scrapped.
Blade was announced at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, when Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali joined Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige on stage to announce that he'd joined the MCU as the Daywalker. The movie remains undated, and we're no closer to learning when or even whether we'll ever get to see Ali's Blade in action.
"Call Marvel," the actor said at the Jurassic World Rebirth premiere. "I’m ready. Let them know I’m ready."
In Sinners, trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
Written and directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ryan Coogler, Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role, joined by Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, and Delroy Lindo.
The film is produced by Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Ryan Coogler. The executive producers are Ludwig Göransson, Will Greenfield, and Rebecca Cho.
Sinners begins streaming on Max tomorrow, July 5.