Mahershala Ali discussed his role in the upcoming Marvel Studios reboot of Blade. For those who don't know, the Academy Award-winning actor will be taking on the lead role of the infamous vampire hunter, Eric Brooks, who was previously played by Wesley Snipes.
Marvel Studios' reboot will be based on the comic book character Blade, a half-human and half-vampire who hunts vampires. What makes Blade special is that he's able to have all of the benefits of being a vampire (superhuman strength, superhuman speed, superhuman durability, superhuman agility, and regenerative healing factor) without the weakness of stepping into daylight. The one negative to this is that he still has the vampire hunger for human blood that he fights on his own and has a remedy for, which he injects into himself in order to quench this thirst.
Ali was first announced as the new Blade during Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con presentation in 2019. Of course, some fans wanted Snipes to reprise the role, especially since he had expressed his interest in playing Blade again. While fans have high expectations of Ali, he told Jake's Takes that he is excited to earn their approval. "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," Ali said. "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."
While Ali will bring a new version of Blade to the MCU, this is not his first foray into the world of Marvel. Previously, Ali portrayed the villainous Cottonmouth in the first season of Netflix's Luke Cage. Many fans and critics praised Ali's performance as Cottonmouth, so many were disappointed when the character met his demise before the first season was even finished. Of course, Ali's casting as Blade doesn't cause any conflicts because Netflix's Marvel shows are rumored to no longer be canon in the MCU.
It's admirable to see the actor being okay with the idea of earning the title. Most people look at stepping into a role that someone else played well as a daunting challenge. Ali is viewing it in a very positive way, recognizing the foundation before him as he prepares to build on top of it.
Marvel Studios' Blade reboot is picking up steam and already adding talent to its growing cast. The project is rumored to begin filming next year, so fans won't have to wait too long until more information about the project drops. Maybe fans will get more of an idea of what to expect when Blade releases, but for now they'll have to wait in anticipation.
Blade is currently aiming to begin filming in 2022.
Source: Jake's Takes/YouTube