Back when rumors of a Blade reboot first began doing the rounds, many fans expressed a desire to see Wesley Snipes reprise the role, and there were early reports that the actor was in talks with Marvel Studios to return as the Daywalker.
We're not sure how close this came to becoming a reality, but we now know that Mahershala Ali will take over as Blade for a new MCU-set movie.
During an interview with Jake's Takes, the Academy Award-winning Green Book actor spoke about the responsibility of following such a fan-favorite portrayal of the character, and said that he's now looking to "earn my place" as the vampiric antihero.
"You know, what I look forward to is earning it. I look forward to earning... you know, there’s an anticipation for it, there’s an excitement for it that he owns, that Mr. Snipes owns. And so in filling his shoes, I’m just working to earn my place in this and I’m excited to get going and do the work."
Spoilers follow.
We're sure many of you have seen Eternals at this stage, but if you haven't, best stop reading now.
Ali actually made his (offscreen) MCU debut as Blade in the post-credits scene of Eternals when he dropped by to offer guidance to Dane Whitman (Kit Harington), who was about to take up the Ebony Blade. This obviously hints at a Blade/Black Knight team-up down the line, but the Daywalker is also rumored to show up in the Moon Knight Disney+ series.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.