Mahershala Ali Confirms He’s Not Doing Marvel’s ‘Blade’: “They Didn’t Want to Do It”

The two-time Oscar winner confirmed to GQ that he won’t star in a long-gestating reboot of the iconic vampire slayer — and he firmly suggested Marvel dropped the ball. Ali’s comments were partly in response to being asked about Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige.

The move comes on the heels of another Marvel project being scrapped, as Disney+ canceled Wonder Man this week. The freshman series starred Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who received an Emmy nomination for his role.

What Happened

The cancelation shocked fans as Disney had previously announced the show was renewed for a second season. Ali and Tariq have now re-teamed for a different project, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

• Marvel originally announced a Blade movie starring Ali at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019.

• The company brought aboard Bassam Tariq to direct, but he left the film in 2022, reportedly over creative differences, just two months before the project was to begin shooting.

• Ali’s Blade did have a voice cameo in a post-credits scene for 2021’s Eternals.

Key Details

Yet in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel brought back original Blade franchise star Wesley Snipes to reprise the character during an extended cameo sequence.

• Ali previously won best supporting actor Oscars for Moonlight (2016) and Green Book (2018).

• Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is an upcoming Amazon MGM Studios action film.

• After Bassam left Blade, Lovecraft Country helmer Yann Demange took over, and then likewise left the project.

Why It Matters

Tariq tells GQ that Ali actually trained to play Blade during pre-production.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by The Hollywood Reporter as more details emerge