Work on Blade is picking up more with each passing day. Last month, it was revealed Watchmen scribe Stacy Osei-Kuffour is already at work penning the script for the Mahershala Ali-starring reboot. Now, it looks like the movie might be even further along than originally expected. A new report from The DisInsider says the production is actively casting a character named Ruby, a teen that’s said to be “thoughtful, serious, and burdened by growing up in a complex world.”
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It’s expected Ruby will play a strong supporting role in the film. As we know from the world of casting, names found on grids shared around Tinsel Town by casting agents are often inaccurate as Marvel Studios actively tries to shield the real identity of the characters to avoid spoilers and leaks.
Because of that, there’s a possibility the movie could be actively casting for the role of Fallon Grey, a Marvel character that’s been in development hell for the better part of six years.
Immediately following the events of Secret Wars, Tim Seeley and Logan Faebar were set to release a new series called Blade the Hunter. The series was to follow Grey as she learned she was the daughter of Eric Brooks. The series and, in turn, Grey herself, never saw the light of day as the series was canceled once Seeley left the book.
At the time, Seeley admitted it was probably best a person of color should write the series featuring a Black teenager. Since then, fans only saw some key art teasing the book’s release and some character turnarounds showing how Grey would have looked.
Other than the casting of Mahershala Ali and this reported casting grid, virtually no other details surrounding the movie’s plot have surfaced. At one point, Ali did confirm the feature would have a darker tone than the rest of the MCU, even though it likely won’t be rated-R.
“Since they were having conversations about bringing it back into being, I just wanted to be considered for it because I had definitely a connection, at least in my mind, to Wesley Snipes going back to high school,” Ali told The Tight Rope last year. “People use to joke and say that we looked alike and all this stuff. Sometimes people try to throw a little dig on you, they call me his character name. They call me Shadow from [Spike Lee jazz drama] Mo’ Better Blues or whatever, right?”
Blade has yet to set a release date.
What other Marvel horror characters would you like to see in the upcoming Blade reboot? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!