If there is one confirmed Marvel character who has not been utilized to his full potential in the MCU, it’s Blade. The actor attached to the role, Mahershala Ali, was confirmed to play the character all the way back in 2019, but since then the solo movie has been all but shelved.
The character made a voice cameo in a post credit scene after 2021’s Eternals, and the original big screen Blade, Wesley Snipes, had a featured cameo in 2024’s Deadpool and Wolverine to gear up fans for a new iteration, but Ali’s take on the character still has not had his time to shine. That could be changing though, as we first reported our theory back in November that Marvel might be waiting to save the character for a Midnight Sons team up movie instead, and as it turns out another reputable source has also just reported pretty much the same information, all but confirming our suspicion.
Midnight Sons is Marvel’s response to DC’s more recognizable Justice League Dark, and includes both already introduced Marvel characters such as Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange and Oscar Issac’s Moon Knight, as well as other heavy hitting paranormal characters such as Ghost Rider, Morbius, and Hannibal King. As it originated, Blade is actually the founding member of the team and would pretty much be a necessity if Marvel does go ahead with the paranormal themed team up.
Our initial report in November didn’t have much to stand on as it truly was just an educated guess based on the current state of the MCU, recently posted news articles and rumors, and knowledge of the industry, but as of today the very credible Daniel Richtman (aka @DanielRPK on Twitter) sent this scoop to his followers: “Blade will appear and have a big role in a Midnight Sons film is the plan I hear”, which aligns with our information posted in this original story. It was all but confirmed a few months ago that the solo Blade film was basically shelved, but Ali is most likely still contractually tied to both the character and the studio so it would seem odd to both bring back the original Blade in Deadpool and Wolverine and waste the announcement and casting of Ali back in 2019.
It was also rumored back in December that horror director Jordan Peele was in talks to direct a film for Marvel, and the natural thought that came to mind when reading that was both Blade and Midnight Sons based primarily on Peele’s past work. However, with Blade all but confirmed as canceled, Midnight Sons seems like the logical choice as we also initially reported. Nothing is official, but if any of the rumors about Peele end up being true, this seems like the natural choice.
Midnight Sons has been an openly rumored secret in Hollywood for a few years now, and many believe is currently in active development. With the Blade solo film most likely scrapped, the team up would be the perfect way to both introduced Ali’s take on the character while also bringing in other heavy hitters like Moon Knight (with no current second season on Disney+ anywhere in the foreseeable future) and Ghost Rider (who has been highly anticipated in the MCU for years as well). Agents of SHIELD already did the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider, but the classic Johnny Blaze is still a huge character for Marvel that has yet to explore in the MCU. All the previously mentioned characters could potentially headline their own solo films after the team up proves a success and would be a great launching point for a more paranormal avenue of other Marvel properties.
For now, take this report with a grain of salt as nothing has been confirmed nor denied by the studio itself, but I have much more confidence in the idea with Richtman reporting on it as he has a track record of being correct with these kind of rumors and theories. As it stands, everything lines up and would be a perfect way to showcase these characters. Lastly, we did a list as well of our ideal Midnight Sons lineup, which you can read here.
Do you want to see Marvel do a Midnight Sons movie featuring Blade, or do you still want to see the vampire hunter headline his own solo film first? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on our instagram!
Source: @DanielRPK
