Mahershala Ali appears ready to move on, at least in conversation, from Marvel’s long-delayed “Blade” reboot, per variety.com.
While appearing on Vogue’s Off the Cuff alongside Jurassic World Rebirth co-stars Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey, Ali side-stepped a question about Marvel projects, quipping, “Leave me out of it. That’s a Scarlett question.”
Bailey chimed in, teasing, “Well, there’s one we’re very excited about,” in reference to ‘Blade,” which was first announced in 2019 but remains stuck in development limbo.
Despite the production delays, Ali recently confirmed to Variety that he’s still on board: “Call Marvel. I’m ready. Let them know I’m ready.”
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige echoed that commitment at D23 Brazil 2024, saying, “We love the character. We love Mahershala’s take on him. Rest assured: the character will indeed make it to the MCU.”
Production challenges have plagued “Blade” for years, with multiple changes in writers and directors. Most recently, it was revealed that Ryan Coogler’s Sinners utilized costumes originally designed for “Blade,” which were repurposed after the project stalled.
Sinners producer Sev Ohanian said costume designer Ruth Carter had already created a wardrobe for “Blade,” which aligned perfectly with the time period of Coogler’s film. “Marvel was generous enough to let us purchase the costumes,” Ohanian noted.
While “Blade”’s path to the big screen remains uncertain, one thing is clear: Mahershala Ali is ready whenever Marvel is.
