A popular fan artist has imagined what Mahershala Ali might look like in Marvel's upcoming Blade movie. The character was previously played by Wesley Snipes in a film trilogy based on the comics character. Blade is a half-vampire, half-human superhero who uses his unique physiology to fight the undead and other mystical threats in the Marvel universe.
So far, it's unclear how exactly Blade will fit into the MCU mythology established by Phases 1-3. No vampires have been introduced in the MCU (as far as fans know), and little is known about Ali's take on the character. The movie won't be Ali's first foray into the Marvel world. He previously appeared as a villain on the Netflix TV show Luke Cage, which makes Ali one of the only actors to jump from Marvel TV to the MCU proper. Ali was rumored at one point to be in consideration for a role in a Batman movie, but his casting as Blade makes that extremely unlikely.
In his new fan art, illustrator Rob Brunette imagines what Ali's Blade might look like when he makes his debut. The artwork features Blade's traditional black leather costume, with some modern additions. His three samurai-style swords are complemented by a utility belt and body armor, with a futuristic pair of sunglasses capping off the design. On his Instagram post, Brunette writes, "For his costume, I felt the shiny leather trench coat was a little outdated so I went for something more like Ryan Goslings jacket in Blade Runner 2049. It’s a bit more worn down. The other details on the suit were inspired by the new Blade comic outfit, mixed with a bit of realism."
This isn't the first time Brunette has brought his talents to the MCU fandom. He recently revealed his take on Emily Blunt and John Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, a fan-casting for the ages. Now, the artist has given Blade fans a peek into the vampire hunter's potential character design. Thanks to Snipe's films, Blade is known for his signature leather duster, and it's hard to imagine the character without it.
At this point, almost nothing is known about the Blade movie, and fans likely have a very long wait ahead of them. Based on Marvel's official release schedule, Blade probably won't make his MCU debut until Phase 5. Besides Ali, who has won two Best Supporting Actor Oscars for his supporting roles in Green Book and Moonlight, no other major casting announcements have been made. And with not a single vampire in sight in the MCU, fans will have to puzzle over how the character fits into the cosmic Marvel universe. Of course, there's no guarantee that the Blade movie will make it to theaters at all. Marvel previously announced an Inhumans movie, which ultimately failed to materialize. Inhumans fans were forced to settle for a very disappointing TV show instead. There's no indication that Blade is headed for the same fate, but fans should learn from the Inhumans rollback. For now, the considerable amount of Blade fan art that features Ali will have to suffice.
Source: Rob Brunette