Sam Wilson was wrong when he said Marvel superheroes have to deal with “the big three.” Androids, aliens, and wizards aren’t the only threats out there. Earth also has to worry about vampires. Or at least it did. Soon Marvel’s best vampire hunter will officially be on the job. Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali is coming to the MCU to play Blade on the big screen. And three years after the actor walked out during Marvel’s Hall H panel, the studio used this year’s San Diego Comic-Con to share Blade‘s release date.
We now officially know where Blade will slot into the MCU’s ever-growing slate of films. The movie is set to be part of the franchise’s Phase 5 collection. It will come to theaters on November 3, 2023, which is right dab in the middle of the next Marvel era. It will debut shortly before (or roughly at the same time) the Ironheart series arrives on Disney+.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Blade movie, but its cast is already a powerhouse. That begins with Ali, a non-MCU Marvel veteran. He played Cottonmouth during Luke Cage‘s first season. And he also voiced the Prowler in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Plus, he already made his Blade debut in the MCU. Or rather, his voice did. Ali spoke during an Eternals post-credits scene with Kit Harrington.
The former Game of Thrones Lord Commander will reprise his role as Dane Whitman in Blade to get in on the vampire-hunting fun. The cast will also feature Da 5 Bloods star Delroy Lindo and Krypton‘s Aaron Pierre.
Who (or what) roles they’ll have remains to be seen. But at least we no longer have to wonder when we’ll see them or Blade. In the meantime, we just hope the other Avengers can handle the big four.
