Stephen Dorff, star of the original Blade film, continues to lash out at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this time slamming plans for a reboot starring Mahershala Ali as the titular vampire hunter. Based on the comic book character created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan, the first Blade film featured '90s action star Wesley Snipes in the lead role, while Dorff assumed the part of the movie’s main antagonist, Deacon Frost. Despite opening to mixed reviews, the film performed well at the box office and would go on to spawn two more sequels, as well as a short-lived television series with Kirk "Sticky" Jones in the title role. In 2019, Marvel Studios officially announced they would be rebooting the property, this time with Luke Cage and True Detective actor Ali taking the lead.

While Blade’s former actor Snipes has previously given his blessing for Ali to take over as the character, it would seem that Dorff is nowhere near as excited about the prospect of the upcoming reboot. Calling most modern superhero outings “worthless garbage”, Dorff offers a stinging rebuke of the MCU’s current plans for Blade while speaking with The Daily Beast. Suggesting the new film will not live up to the 1998 original directed by Stephen Norrington, the actor claims Ali’s outing is “going to be laughed at by everyone.” Check out his full comments below:

Marvel is used to me trashing them anyway. How’s that PG ‘Blade’ movie going for you, that can’t get a director? [laughs] Because anybody who goes there is going to be laughed at by everyone, because we already did it and made it the best. There’s no Steve Norrington out there.

Related: Why Blade's Original Movie Nemesis Needs to Return in the MCU

Stephen Dorff's Past MCU Comments Explained

Frost holding up EDTA in Blade (1998).

Dorff’s latest comments come off the back of a previous controversial statement the actor made about Scarlett Johansson's role in 2021’s Black Widow. Dismissing Johansson’s solo Marvel outing as something which looked like “a bad video game,” Dorff said that he was embarrassed for Johansson and the film’s other stars, including Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz. Dorff’s inflammatory comments quickly went viral after they went public, resulting in a wave of public backlash from incensed fans.

Dorff would later walk back his Black Widow comments, revealing that he had not actually seen the Black Widow movie and claiming his words were the result of him being in a foul mood at the time of the original interview. He also insisted that Johansson was an “old friend” and he felt bad about what was said. However, Dorff's most recent outburst would suggest the star’s feelings about Marvel’s current cinematic offerings have not improved since his abrasive words last put him in the spotlight.

What We Know About The MCU’s Blade

Originally planned to be released in November this year, the MCU’s Blade reboot is now slated to arrive in theaters in September 2024. It is true that the movie has faced a difficult pre-production. While the original director Bassam Tariq stepped away from the project just months before production was scheduled to start, the film is now in the hands of Lovecraft Country pilot director Yann Demange. It has also been suggested that since Demange took over directorial duties, the new Blade film has reportedly been retooled to favor a darker and grittier approach more in keeping with the original films. Whatever Dorff suggests about the MCU’s upcoming reboot, Marvel fans will be keen to see what Demange and Ali bring to the property when Blade finally arrives in theaters next year.

Next: The MCU's Blade Faces 3 Big Challenges From The MCU

Source: The Daily Beast

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