Blade
Fallon Grey: Sennia Nanua --- Blade: Michael Jai White
I do realize that Jai White as Blade is kind of a cliched choice at this point. However, I do think he would embody the part exceptionally well. You have to find a very physically trained actor to pull off the fights and the stoic nature of a man self-condemned to walk a long, violent path alone. Sennia Nanua, meanwhile, broke out starring in
The Girl With All The Gifts, giving a very impressive performance that attracted a lot of attention. She's just the right rising star to embody Fallon's naive teen to warrior journey.
Elsa Bloodstone: Yvonne Strahovski --- Jack Russell: Matt Bomer
In the supporting cast two other future members of the Midnight Sons will be teaming up with Blade and Fallon to save the day. First, we meet Elsa Bloodstone. In the series, she has already left her days as a monster hunter behind, realizing that not all "monsters" are evil and many of the worst monsters are men. To play her, you need a chraismatic, tough actress who can keep up with Blade in fight scenes and serve as a caring mentor to Fallon. Strahovski can deliver the role perfectly. Matt Bomer, on the other hand, brings more than a fair share of charisma and charm to the part of playboy werewolf adventurer and painfully ironically named hero Jack Russell.
Deacon Frost: Kelsey Grammer --- Alyssa: Billie Lourd
I know that Deacon Frost has been brought to life on the big screen before, but lets face it, no one remembers Blade 1 because of him. He's the Daywalker's nemesis, and a new take in the hands of a master like Kelsey Grammer could cement him with the rest of the beloved Netflix villains, carrying a unique, savage gentleman attitude. Billie Lourd, meanwhile, steps into the tragic role of young vampire Alyssa, who befriends Fallon before betraying the team for her leader, Frost. However, her plans to cement herself as a power player in the vampire role go far beyond Frost's schemes. Lourd can bring the combination of innocence and detirmination to a role that will have major represcussions to the future of the Netflix world.
Cpt. Yamato: Donnie Yen --- Verdelet: Matthew Modine
While Frost is the Big Bad, two other villains will be out to get our heroes throughout the series. First off there's Verdelet, an ancient, scheming vampire who has fit right into modern cutthroat corporate business. While Dracula leads the vampires to hide from the world and work in secret, Verdelet dreams of absolute power over humanity, and has joined Morningstar's cult to achieve it. Matthew Modine's memorable villainous turn in
Stranger Things brought him right to my mind to pull off the ominous, scheming vampire. As for Cpt. Yamato, he represents what Elsa once was, an indiscriminate murderer of the monsters he views as a threat to all of humanity. He can't look past the label to what lies beneath, but firmly believes he is the hero of the story. Yen can perfectly deliver the noble warrior and go toe to toe with the likes of White and Strahovski.
Morningstar: Angus Macfadyen --- Skyla Grey: Taraji P Henson
Taraji P Henson plays a major recurring role as Fallon's mother. A tough, devoted single mother, Skyla's already stressful life is tossed into chaos when hitmen come after her daughter, her long lost lover returns, and they all become the targets of an army of monsters and monster killers. Henson is a brilliant actress and a hige catch for the MCU in this role. She may not be playing a superhero, but she can turn Skyla into a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, Angus Macfadyen makes his brief debut as Morningstar, leader of The Left Hand Path, a cult of international business moguls that includes Verdelet. His villainous presence will be heavy for the remainder of the Midnight Sons saga, and Macfadyen brings the perfect aristocratic air to the devious mystic Big Bad.
Showrunner: Josh Schwartz/Chris Fedak/Jonathon Nolan
Post Iron Fist, the quality of the showrunner has become increasingly important, something that was pointed out to me after posting my Moon Knight pitch without them. I came up with three options, all of which would be huge catches for Marvel but absolutely worthy of a big-ticket series like Blade. First up are either (or both) of the Josh Schwartz/Chris Fedak duo, who crafted
Chuck together, a show every bit as much about family as it was about the incredible fight scenes. They've both already dived into superhero television, Schwartz on
Runaways and Fedak on
Legends of Tomorrow but their talents would both prove worthy for this new take on Blade. Then there's Jonathon Nolan, he delivers an epic, heartpounding cinematic scale with each project, and could prove very fitting for a hero moving from the movies to TV. Plus it helps him set up the stage for Midnight Sons, which I DEFINITELY want him running.
The Plot
Fallon Grey isn’t that unique. She’s grown up under the watchful eye of a single mother, never having met her father. She goes through her days at high school with a typical amount of angst and just slightly more maturity than her classmates. But all that is about to change. When a gang of hitmen attempt to kidnap her, she is saved by the mysterious Elsa Bloodstone and dragged away on the run, leaving behind her frantic mother. On the road, Elsa explains that her father was the legendary vampire hunter Blade, and that he’s been captured by a vampire lord and corporate businessman named Verdelet. They believe that Verdelet is seeking a key given to Fallon as a child by her father.
Hiding out in the woods, Elsa begins to train Fallon to fight in preparation for future attacks, and she catches on quickly. However, between the police manhunt and Verdelet’s men, it becomes increasingly difficult to hide. In order to get out of a tough situation, Elsa kidnaps playboy Jack Russell. Although he initially tries to escape, his attraction to Elsa and large problems he was kidnapped away from inspire him to stay. He’s hiding a big secret, however, which comes out on the full moon. Transforming into his werewolf form, he breaks away on a rampage, and is only stopped by Alyssa, a vampire who has sought out the group in order to stop Verdelet’s plans. Together, the four of them are able to break into Verdelet’s building and rescue Blade. However, as they flee, it is revealed that the vampire businessman is part of a larger conspiracy, one powerful enough to sic Elsa’s old employer, the Japanese Monster Hunters Corps on the fleeing heroes.
After the escape, Blade takes time to get to know his daughter, and stubbornly insists on taking her back home. The tense family reunion doesn’t last long, as Cpt. Yamato and his monster hunters swoop in to eliminate the gang of vampires, a werewolf, and a rogue agent. The family is forced to go on the run, and are ultimately only saved by the intervention of Alyssa’s vampire master, who Blade is horrified to recognize as Deacon Frost. The vampires defeat the Hunters, but Alyssa and Frost leave, stealing Elsa’s Bloodstone Amulet, which, rather than the key, is the pivotal token required to summon the Elder Vampire god Lilith and give Frost supreme power to usurp Dracula as Lord of the Vampires.
Blade and Fallon must leave Skyla again as they follow Elsa and Jack to dive into the secret monster underworld, hidden within and bellows the limits of human society. They navigate the inner circles, playing cat and mouse with Frost, before finally confronting him in his mansion as the ceremony is prepared. Fallon attempts to convince Alyssa to come back to their side. However, Frost ambushes her and the girl is mortally wounded. Blade duels and kills Frost, stopping the ceremony and taking back the Bloodstone. However, the only way to save Fallon is to turn her into a vampire, a decision that a despondent Blade finally makes at the last second. Fallon revives, but it’s clear she’s not the girl she used to be. Blade leaves with her into the night, while Elsa and Jack plot to delve further into the conspiracy they’ve uncovered.
In Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed the pitch. I drew a lot off of classic coming-of-age, warrior training stories to craft Fallon's progress. This approach allows a new and distinct story from the Snipes' movies, maintaining the epic fights and violent battles while centering on the bizarre family that forms between Fallon, her parents, and Elsa and Jack. We also get further into the setup for the future of the Midnight Sons saga, introducing several crucial team members as well as beginning to pull back the curtain on Morningstar's corporate cult that will play a central antagonistic rle in the series going forward.