It looks like things are starting to heat up in the vampire world. Granted, since vampires don't generate much by the way of body heat themselves, they have to get that warmth from other sources. In this case, that source is the casting of Da 5 Bloods star Delroy Lindo in Marvel Studios' upcoming Blade reboot. How's that for a thematic segue?

A new report says that Lindo is currently closing in on a deal to officially join Mahershala Ali (as the titular vampire hunter) in the undead-centric comic book film from Marvel Studios, and he'd definitely be a welcome addition. Lindo's latest movie, The Harder They Fall, just released on Netflix in October. So if he does end up as part of Blade's cast, it will be perfect timing, with the British-born actor still fresh in the minds of viewers.

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As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, it's currently unknown which role Lindo would end up playing if/when he finishes negotiations. However, considering how he's the film's first actor since Ali to potentially be announced publically, odds are he'll end up with a pretty beefy part. Mogul Mowgli's Bassam Tariq is attached to direct Blade, while Watchmen (HBO) and PEN15 scribe Stacy Osei-Kuffour will be behind the movie's script.

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Lindo has made a name for himself with a storied career, including a number of substantial appearances in Spike Lee films like the aforementioned Da 5 Bloods, which also starred the late Chadwick Boseman. His film roles stretch all the way back to the '70s, interestingly including More American Graffiti, the sublimely-titled sequel to the George Lucas-directed American Graffiti. He's also worked in television, appearing in shows like Beauty and the Beast in 1987 all the way to an episode of This Is Us in 2017.

Filming for Marvel Studios' Blade is set to begin in 2022, so there's still plenty of time for things to get sorted out before then. The story of a vampire-human hybrid who grows up to be the perfect vampire killer is certainly a tale as old as life itself, depending on who's being asked. So more news like this may make the wait all the more difficult for any fans out there hungry for a new take on the character famously played by Wesley Snipes. Ali even had an uncredited voice cameo in The Eternals as Blade, so technically, he's already made his debut.

But again, filming won't begin until 2022. So for the time being, perhaps the best way for fans to get a fix is to watch that episode of What We Do in the Shadows that featured a cameo of Snipes as himself as a vampire. Hey, it's something, right?

Blade is in development at Marvel Studios.

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Source: The Hollywood Reporter