Marvel's long-delayed Blade reboot, which was removed from the 2025 movie schedule, continues to be a topic of discussion. Considering the setbacks, the production has kept Mahershala Ali, who's still attached to lead the film, on standby. However, it seems the delays also had an impact on another production -- the upcoming Marvel Zombies animated series. With that, the creative team behind the show recently revealed the alterations that needed to be made.
Ahead of Zombies' debut, Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum and showrunner Bryan Andrews laid out how the live-action shuffle triggered their pivot for the animated version of Ali's character. The pair provided this clarity to ComicBook.com, explaining that due to delays, they weren't in a position to go with a straightforward variant of the Daywalker. Winderbaum explained:
We felt like Blade was gonna be really exciting to put on screen, and we never thought that we would come out before the live-action Blade. It was always designed to be after. But we knew that we’d be in concurrent development. Sometimes when you’re chasing live-action like that, if they pivot, and you don’t pivot in the same way, you get stuck because animation needs a lot more lead time.
The fix? Promote the vampire hunter into something new amid the undead apocalypse. He continued:
Making him the Fist of Konshu freed us up in a lot of ways, because he became now a new character with lore that we were creating for him, which let us kind of be more free and less tethered to the live action plans.
For those of us who might need a quick primer: in Marvel comics, the Fist of Khonshu is traditionally Moon Knight’s mantle, and is the earthly avatar of the Egyptian moon god, charged with meting out vengeance on their behalf. Depending on the era, that role comes with moon-touched boosts (strength, stamina, faster healing), prophetic nudges and consecrated gear.
Recasting Blade as Khonshu’s fist in Marvel Zombies gives the Daywalker a supernatural upgrade that’s distinct from his usual vampire-hunter toolkit. As a result, the show's creative team was able to craft fresh lore and a cleaner, standalone power set for the apocalypse.
That character change does more than sidestep scheduling chaos. It officially makes Marvel Zombies Blade’s first on-screen Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance— during which he's voiced by Todd Williams instead of Ali. It's ironic that after years of false starts for the movie (and a brief, separate-universe Snipes' cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine), this show ushers Blade into the MCU. Andrews calls it a “surprise privilege,” and chatter about trailer (which you can watch below) suggests fans are already locked in on the Daywalker’s big set piece.
Zoom out and the production logic tracks. Animation works years ahead, while live action can pivot mid-shoot if need be. If the cartoon kept chasing updates, it would never have made the 2025 TV schedule. By creating a Khonshu-blessed Blade (who, according to the trailer, they’re calling Blade Knight, which I love), the team could lock storyboards, action beats, and character rules without tripping over whatever draft the film lands on next. (That is, if the movie ever gets off the ground, of course.) It’s a clean Marvel multiverse move and frankly, a cooler hook for a TV-MA zombie romp.
The status of the live-action Blade reboot remains… complicated. Since the 2019 announcement, the project has cycled creatives and slipped off Marvel’s dated slate entirely, fueling chatter about alternate paths (hello, Midnight Sons?) while Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige insists the movie is still in play. Regardless of where the film lands, the animated side has stopped waiting and turned a delay into a fresh take on a beloved character.
The Moon Knight–christened Daywalker arrives in animation when Marvel Zombies premieres September 24, 2025, so grab a Disney+ subscription if you aim to check it out.
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