Mahershala Ali playing Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have cost him a role as Commissioner Gordon in Matt Reeves' The Batman. One of the big surprise announcements to come from Marvel Studios this summer was the casting of Ali as the daywalker, Blade. He is set to lead his own MCU franchise now thanks to this casting and was the end result of an incredible few years for Ali.
After impressing many with his limited role in Luke Cage, Ali has gone on to win two straight Best Supporting Actor Oscars for his work in Moonlight and Green Book. He also recently headlined the third season of HBO's award-winning True Detective series. This impressive run left many wondering when he would take on a major comic book movie role. Some DC fans hoped he could be cast as John Stewart in a Green Lantern Corps film. However, his new role with the MCU likely won't see that happen - or a possible role in The Batman.
Collider's Jeff Sneider said on his podcast The Sneider Cut (via Comicbook) that Mahershala Ali was previously the top choice for Matt Reeves to play Commissioner Jim Gordon in The Batman. While Ali and Reeves reportedly met about working together, it is now believed that this will not come to pass. The role Gordon will be a supporting one, and Ali now has his own superhero franchise to headline in the near future.
Even though Ali may not be Gordon in The Batman, him being in contention for the role shows that Reeves is casting a wider net to fill the role. Reeves' new take on Batman starring Robert Pattinson is said to be a prequel to the shared universe where J.K. Simmons previously played him in Justice League. That said, there is an obvious difference between Simmons and Ali, as Simmons is white and Ali is black. If this report is true, it would appear that Reeves is simply looking for the best person for the role regardless of their race or the continuity.
While we still don't know who is now in consideration to play Gordon in The Batman, that announcement should arrive in the next few months. Reeves' script for the movie is complete, and it won't be long before production begins. In order for filming to begin, Reeves will need to make some casting decisions. The Batman currently does not have any other cast members outside of Pattinson, so fans of the Dark Knight should get plenty of updates on who will appear soon.
Source: The Sneider Cut (via Comicbook)
