When it comes to upcoming Marvel movies, Mahershala Ali’s Blade is a title that fans have been discussing and hoping for since it was announced back in 2019. Unfortunately, the production has seen its share of starts and stops. At this point, it seems as though the movie is now dead, and many have expressed disappointment. One fan even recently went as far as to claim Marvel fumbled Ali twice due to his abbreviated role on Luke Cage, but the show’s creator set the record straight.
Years before Ali signed on to play the Daywalker, he portrayed the slippery Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes during the first season of Luke Cage. Cottonmouth became a favorite amongst the fans and even the series’ cast as well and, because of that, there was an uproar when viewers witnessed Cornell’s death in Episode 7. Considering Ali’s brief tenure on the show, one X user assumed Marvel Television wasted him. However, Cheo Hodrari Coker reposted the message and provided some serious context:
I didn’t fumble the bag the first time. He took the role because it was a limited appearance. He was always going to die in episode 7, by design. He made Luke Cage, Hidden Figures, and Moonlight simultaneously. He was killing it on Luke Cage and Marvel TV and the other actors begged me to change my mind, which would have locked him into a long term contract (and cost him the Green Book Oscar) but I kept my word to him on a handshake. That’s why we’re friends to this day. Always keep your word.
So it seems there’s far more to this story than meets the eye. I honestly was sad to see Ali (and his character) exit the show so early, but I can understand the star’s conditions for signing on. While Ali remains booked and busy today, he was really in demand around the time Cage was in development. So it would’ve been nearly impossible for Coker, Marvel and co. to lock him down for a long-term TV gig. (And, as mentioned, he also would’ve lost out on the film that earned him his second Academy Award.)
So it seems there’s far more to this story than meets the eye. I honestly was sad to see Ali (and his character) exit the show so early, but I can understand the star’s conditions for signing on. While Ali remains booked and busy today, he was really in demand around the time Cage was in development. So it would’ve been nearly impossible for Coker, Marvel and co. to lock him down for a long-term TV gig. (And, as mentioned, he also would’ve lost out on the film that earned him his second Academy Award.)
I was very excited to see Mahershala Ali play Blade (a.k.a. Eric Brooks) in great part due to his stellar performance as Stokes. After the project was announced, it changed hands amongst a number of directors and screenwriters. The production’s setbacks have had some serious ramifications, and they even had an effect on Blade’s inclusion in Marvel Zombies (an animated series). All the while, fans haven’t held back their thoughts on the movie’s apparent demise, and neither has its leading man.
Ali – who made a vocal cameo as Blade in 2021’s Eternals – recently spoke about his superhero film’s reported cancellation. The A-lister sought to show “no offense” towards Marvel Studios, but he opined that if the vampire hunter were to return to the big screen, then it wouldn’t be with him. Ali also stated that “for whatever reason, that project is not for me” and that if the studio “wanted to do it, we would've done it.” For his part, studio head honcho Kevin Feige said he felt like a “failure” for not getting the movie off the ground.
It’s unfortunate that it doesn’t look like Mahershala Ali will get to wield his sword and take on fanged bloodsuckers on the big screen. Fans can debate on their own whether the Blade situation represents a fumble. However, when it comes to Ali’s first MCU character, Cheo Hodari Coker makes it crystal clear that no one dropped the ball on that front.
On that note, check out Ali’s work on Luke Cage by streaming the show with a Disney+ subscription.
