Marvel's Blade Star Mahershala Ali Talks About His MCU Future

Marvel's Blade star Mahershala Ali is breaking his silence on his casting as the infamous Daywalker, and his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. In a recent interview, Ali says that he is "excited to get going" on the Blade reboot, which is being directed by Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli), with a script by HBO's Watchmen TV series writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour. Mahershala Ali also confirmed that the film is indeed gearing up for production, stating that "We're getting there, we're getting close," when it comes to the time that he will have to suit up as Blade. 

So far, rumors about the Blade reboot have pointed to a possible storyline that would pull a certain Marvel character from obscurity. That character is supposedly Blade's daughter, "Ruby," who would be based on the Marvel Comics character Fallon Grey. Fallon was supposed to be a new female iteration of the Blade character, who would be trained by her father Eric Brooks (aka Blade). There was an entire comic series planned for the character after Marvel's "Secret Wars" event and universe reboot in the mid-2010s, but the book never made it shelves. 

The theme of training a new generation of heroes (or new people taking up the mantle) is certainly popular in Marvel Studios' Phase 4 storyline - but so far, it's speculation that we'll get it from the Blade reboot. What we do now know, however, is one possible big crossover link Marvel Studios is making with the Blade character. 

WARNING: MAJOR MARVEL MOVIE SPOILERS FOLLOW!!!

Marvel's latest movie, Eternals, surprised fans by having Mahershala Ali make his debut as Blade, without them even knowing it! It's been confirmed by the makers of Eternals that Ali was the mystery voice talking to Kit Harington's Dane Whitman in Eternals' post-credits scene. Dane is considering taking up the Ebony Blade, his ancestral sword that carries a horrific bloodthirsty curse. Blade is there to question whether Dane is truly ready for what that curse brings... 

As Mahershala Ali told Empire, it was kind of intimidating having to have his MCU debut as Blade rest on nothing but the sound of his voice: 

It was really cool, getting to do that," Ali says, while admitting, "It was scary. Because, you know, you're talking before you're filming it. I'm pretty particular about my choices, like most actors, and so having to make some choices – even with a line, vocally – this early on, it brought up some very real anxieties. And it made the job real. It's like, 'Okay, this is happening now', you know, and that's exciting."

But ultimately, the two-time Oscar-winning actor is eager for the challenge: "I'm excited to get going and do more."

Marvel's Blade is expected to be released in 2023.