It’s only a matter of time before fans see Mahershala Ali as the MCU Blade for the first time. After the character made his off-screen debut in Eternals last year, he will helm his own solo film, titled Blade. But this one is a new version compared to the old one, which means it is a reboot.
Bassam Tariq will direct the film, but it looks like he’s not the first person Marvel has spoken to to helm the project.
About Director Opportunities
In an interview with Comicbook.com, Chad Stahelski, who has directed all four John Wick films, revealed that he spoke with Marvel Studios about directing Blade before Bassam Tariq joined.
Stahelski said that “Marvel was very influential in [his] career” because he “worked for [the studio] many times” early in his career. He then went to the meeting that took place between him and Kevin Feige after John Wick 3.
This would be a similar tact that Disney took with the team behind the Raid films who came on to help choreograph the fight scenes seen in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. There will not be the gushing blood and broken bones that Stahelski is used to, but it could be a happy medium if he were willing to do it.
Here’s further proof that Marvel Studios knows exactly what they’re doing. Sure, Stahelski didn’t end up getting Blade’s job, but he was the perfect guy to at least start the conversation with. Blade will hit theaters on November 3, 2023
