Mahershala Ali and Marvel seem to have delivered a huge disappointment to fans after Blade was removed from Marvel Studios’ 2025 slate, delayed indefinitely. It turns out that the MCU and Ali had a particular vision for Blade that does not align with the character, despite it trying to emulate one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s great successes.
There seems to be a consensus over at Marvel Studios that Blade could be for the new saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe what Black Panther was for the Infinity Saga. However, Black Panther and Blade are actually distinct characters, and perhaps taking the Black Panther approach with Blade could be the reason the project has been so indefinitely delayed.
At his core, Blade is nowhere like Black Panther
Black Panther is a character that did a lot for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was a great project, brought to fruition by an all-Black cast and crew, that managed to deliver a story about a country that staved off the horrors of colonization and is now endeavoring to do better on the global stage. The story was about an African monarch, who looks at the troubles of the world and decides to help in and outside of his capacity as a superhero.
Blade, however, is a completely different story. At the character’s core is the story of a vampire hunter, whose fief in the superhero world is the supernatural. The character started out as being important to the mythos of the likes of Ghost Rider and Doctor Strange and came into his own by the time Wesley Snipes brought the character into the mainstream.
Mahershala Ali and the MCU treating the character like Black Panther would never work, given that the fundamentals of the story are vastly different. It would be like trying to treat Iron Man like Batman, just because they fit the same profile as superheroes.
Just because the Blade project is delayed, does not mean that audiences might not see Mahershala Ali in the MCU
Just because the Blade project has been delayed, does not mean that Mahershala Ali has lost out on the character. The actor could still appear in a slew of shows and films. The supernatural side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been largely neglected by the main entries in the franchise. With rumors circulating that the next Saga of the MCU will deal with the supernatural, Marvel might be looking to silently tease the idea as the Multiverse saga comes to an end.
Blade could appear in Doctor Strange 3, and would be an integral part of the Multiverse Saga in one way or another. Blade, who previously appeared in a choice-only cameo in Eternals, need not necessarily appear in a supernatural adjacent film, instead appearing in any of the films and series that the MCU is putting out. Given that Blade has been a part of Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos in some iterations of the team, the character could show up in films like Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World as well.
