BLADE Star Mahershala Ali Pays His Respects To The Original Vampire Hunter Wesley Snipes

Wesley Snipes spent years campaigning for the chance to reprise the role of Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now the new Daywalker, Mahershala Ali, has responded to his recent congratulations.

By JoshWilding - Jul 26, 2019 12:07 AM EST

Filed Under: Blade

Earlier this week, Wesley Snipes released a statement in which he accepted that he won't be returning to the big screen as Blade and offered his congratulations to Mahershala Ali while welcoming him to the "Daywalker Kliq."

Now, Ali has responded to that via his Instagram account, and, as you can see, he's tagged Snipes and used a crown emoji to hail Snipes as the king. We don't know whether the Oscar-winner grew up as a fan of Blade after reading comic books as a youngster or was introduced to the hero through the original movies, but this sign of respect is very cool.

Snipes starred in Blade way back in 1998 and later appeared in two sequels which were released in 2002 and 2004.

The new Blade movie is expected to be released as part of Phase 5, so Marvel Studios is probably to looking to get it out there in 2022/2023. No writer or director has been revealed as of yet.

Check out Ali's Instagram post below:

View this post on Instagram

👑 @realwesleysnipes ⚔️

A post shared by Mahershala Ali (@mahershalaali) on
Jul 23, 2019 at 9:32am PDT

Which movies and TV shows were missing from Marvel's Phase 4
slate reveal? Find out by clicking on the "View List" button!

Moon Knight

Kevin Feige has said that Moon Knight is a character they've talked about at Marvel Studios, and while he was quick to point out that that doesn't necessarily mean he'll show up right away, it's genuinely surprising that this street level superhero isn't going to be joining Blade as part of Phase 5.

There's a clear demand for grittier characters like this in the MCU who can exist away from the heroes who save the entire world on a regular basis, and a Marvel Knights team-up could be what The Defenders should have been.

Namor The Submariner

It's thought that there could be some complications with Namor the Submariner's right issues, but it was last October that Kevin Feige reportedly told fans at a Q&A that the hero could appear in the MCU...it was just a case of figuring out how and when.

Well, there was no sign of Namor at Comic-Con and that's a real shame because there's a very large number of fans who are anxious to see this iconic character brought to the big screen. Rumour has it that he could show up in Black Panther 2, though, and seeing as that was one of the movies mentioned in Hall H, perhaps his time will come sooner than we think.

Lady Sif

Disney is pulling out all the stops with its streaming service and there's a lot of Marvel Studios content coming over the next two years. For now, there's more than enough to keep us busy, of course, but along with the obvious reveals, fans were optimistic that Lady Sif's might be announced.

After all, this series has been rumoured for almost as long as the likes of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Hawkeye, but it seems as if we'll have to wait a little bit longer for the spotlight to move on to Sif...Thor: Love and Thunder, perhaps?

Avengers 5

Avengers: Endgame is now the highest grossing movie of all-time, so the fact that Marvel Studios isn't rushing out another team-up in Phase 4 says a lot about what a great studio they are and how they arguably always put story before profit.

However, it would be crazy to leave Earth's Mightiest Heroes on the shelf for too long, and while Kevin Feige has said that there are plans for another team to come together with new and familiar faces, there's no word on when that might be. The fact that he didn't name drop the team during those Phase 5 teases is genuinely surprising, so perhaps we'll be waiting until Phase 6!

Ant-Man And The Wasp 2

Ant-Man and Ant-Man and The Wasp may not have been billion dollar blockbusters, but they were hits and considering the fact that Scott Lang played a key role in Avengers: Endgame, it's actually rather shocking that there was no mention of the pint-sized superheroes at Comic-Con last weekend.

The Wasp has been overlooked far too often in recent years, so it would have been nice to get an update on future plans for Hope van Dyne. Kevin Feige mentioned franchises like Captain Marvel and Black Panther while teasing Phase 5, so have Scott and Hope been forgotten about?

Deadpool 3

Deadpool was one of Fox's hottest franchises, and over the course of two movies (and a re-release for the sequel), they made well over $1.5 billion thanks to the Merc with the Mouth!

Both the Fantastic Four and "mutants" were mentioned as being in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's future, but Deadpool - a character whose name would have sent Hall H into a frenzy - was nowhere to be seen. That's bound to change, but, for now, it definitely feels like the brakes have been put on the R-Rated franchise while it's re-evaluated by Disney and Marvel Studios.

War Machine

It was a lot of fun spending time with Rhodey in Avengers: Endgame, and now he's the only hero out there in an Iron Man suit, it's clear that there's more story to tell with this particular character.

For a while now, there have been rumblings that War Machine will get his own Disney+ series, but that wasn't mentioned at Comic-Con and chances are this is just one of many ideas currently being passed around Marvel Studios. However, it wouldn't be at all surprising if this is in the second wave of Marvel's TV shows on Disney+ as it's an established hero with lots of storytelling potential.

The Hulk

Due to rights issues with Universal Pictures, we won't be seeing The Hulk in a solo outing on either the big or small screens moving forward. However, the character remains a firm fan-favourite so it's sad to see that he's being left on the shelf for a while, especially after the changes he went through in Avengers: Endgame's final act.

Marvel Studios dropped details about each of its upcoming releases (Scarlet Witch was confirmed for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, for example) but with no mention of the Green Goliath, we're left to wait and see whether he can find a home outside of The Avengers franchise as we move into Phase 5.

Spider-Man 3

Spider-Man: Far From Home ended on a huge cliffhanger, and common sense says that a sequel will be released in 2021 given the gap between that and Spider-Man: Homecoming. So, why didn't Marvel Studios mention this during Comic-Con? There's actually a very good answer for that.

The Spider-Man movies are still distributed by Sony Pictures, so it's up to them to co-ordinate with Marvel Studios and choose a release date. We're almost certain that this third chapter will arrive in 2021, though, and that the wall-crawler will be part of Phase 4.

Power Pack

We've heard on multiple occasions now that Kevin Feige is a huge fan of Power Pack, and it was back in May that it was claimed that the movie had finally entered active development. It's certainly an odd choice for the MCU, but the same would have been said about the Guardians of the Galaxy once upon a time and even Eternals (which boasts one of the best superhero movie casts ever).

Chances are, now that the X-Men and Fantastic Four rights have reverted to Marvel Studios, thes young heroes are no longer a priority, but could still appear late in Phase 5 or early Phase 6.

Nick Fury

Another long-rumoured Disney+ TV series, it honestly isn't that surprising that a Nick Fury solo series wasn't announced at Comic-Con. After all, we explored his origin story in Captain Marvel and learned that he had been replaced by Talos in Spider-Man: Far From Home while he joins Carol Danvers in outer space.

Now, it seems far more likely that Fury will return in her sequel, so while it would have been undeniably awesome to see him get the spotlight in a TV show, it honestly doesn't feel like a massive loss.

Continue reading to see what Marvel Studios
did reveal at this year's San Diego Comic-Con!

The Eternals Are...Aliens?!

In the comics, the Eternals were created when the Celestials visited Earth over five million years ago and performed genetic experiments on early humans. As well as these immortal beings, the Celestials also created the monstrous Deviants. However, it sounds like the characters could undergo some major changes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"The Eternals are arranged of immortal aliens," Richard Madden told the Hall H crowd. "[They're] sent here by the Celestials to protect mankind from the Deviants." In other words, it sounds like the MCU version of the Eternals will be created to counter the Deviants, and could hail from outer space rather than right here on Earth. That's a pretty major change.

"It’s about this group of incredible immortals but through their journey we really get to explore what it means to be human and humanity on our time on this planet," director Chloe Zhao added.

Baron Zemo Is Back...And He's Bringing His Mask!

We heard a while ago that Daniel Bruhl was in talks to return to the MCU as Zemo in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, but that was confirmed at Comic-Con in a pre-taped message from the villain.

After acknowledging that brainwashing Bucky will no longer work, Zemo made it clear that he wasn't out to inflict violence on the panel and instead has something else in mind. "Gentleman, I'll be seeing you very soon," he says before donning his purple mask from the comic books.

With Sam Wilson expected to suit up as Captain America, this one is going to be very interesting...

Loki Is Back...In 2012

The God of Mischief may have died at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, but he's not done yet. Kevin Feige confirmed that the version of Loki we follow in his Disney+ series will be the one who escaped from custody back in 2012 when Iron Man, Ant-Man, and Captain America travelled back in time.

"The question I get asked more than any other question in Endgame was, where did Loki go, and what happened to Loki?" Feige said. "This series will answer where he went."

Tom Hiddleston then explained that this version of the character hasn't undergone the redemption arc the previous version did in Thor: The Dark World. "He's still that guy. Just about the last thing that happened to him is he got Hulk-smashed...There's a lot of psychological evolution yet to happen...I can't tell you any of [the plans] but it is one of the most exciting creative opportunities I've ever come across. A new world. New challenges. And I cannot wait to get started."

WandaVision Leads Into Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

WandaVision will feature an adult Monica Rambeau, and Elizabeth Olsen promises that "we’re going to finally understand Wanda Maximoff as the Scarlet Witch." Paul Bettany, meanwhile, was saying nothing about how The Vision rises from the dead. "Last thing I knew, I died in Infinity War, so I literally have never been this confused in front of this many people in my whole life."

Proving that these Disney+ TV shows will be unmissable, Olsen will be back as Wanda in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the events of the series will be pivotal to this sequel.

"He’ll be facing unexpected things," Cumberbatch said of his character in the movie. "I think he’ll be in a position rather like the audience of not knowing what’s coming at him. There was a lot of authority I thought in the Avengers iterations [of Strange], so we’re going back to kind of destroy him, I think." Oh, and while it's set to be a horror film, it will retain its PG-13 rating.

Blade Is BACK!

The panel ended with those in attendance being given Black Widow caps, but it was then that Kevin Feige brought out Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali. The actor had a cap of his own...emblazoned with a new Blade logo! The vampire hunter is returning to the big screen and while the movie doesn't have a release date, the Marvel Studios boss later confirmed that it will be part of Phase 5!

Valkyrie Is The MCU's First Openly Gay Superhero

Kevin Feige has promised that we'll see more diversity in the MCU moving forward, and that was confirmed when Tessa Thompson revealed that a big part of Thor: Love and Thunder will be Valkyrie's quest to "find her new Queen." That is, of course, a reference to the fact that she's currently ruling over New Asgard and Thompson has alluded to the hero being gay for quite some time now.

Some fans will inevitably hate this, but it follows the comic books and there's already speculation that the "new queen" could be Jane Foster. That seems unlikely, but we'll soon find out!

The Real Mandarin Is Finally Coming

It's no secret that a new Shang-Chi movie is on the way, but it being called Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was definitely a shocker and confirms rumours that The Mandarin is coming to the MCU. Moments later, Tony Leung was brought out on stage and announced as the villain, and while fans will be disappointed about not seeing him battle Iron Man, this promises to be a lot of fun.

After all, there are bound to be references to movies like Iron Man and Iron Man 3, and seeing Shang-Chi in action against this villain (and his sinister organisation) should be downright epic.

Some Phase 5 Hints

Marvel Studios only revealed its Phase 4 slate at Comic-Con, but Kevin Feige still dropped some huge reveals at the end of the night about what comes next. We've mentioned Blade, but he also named Captain Marvel 2, Black Panther 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as being in development.

Here's where things got really exciting, however; Feige confirmed that a new version of Fantastic Four is on the way and teased fans by pointing out that they didn't even have time to talk "mutants."

That's not 100% confirmation, but it definitely sounds like we can expect to see both Marvel's First Family and the X-Men arrive during Phase 5 which should make that the biggest Phase yet.

Kate Bishop Will Star In A Hawkeye TV Series

There have been rumblings about a Hawkeye series on Disney+ for a while now and that was confirmed on Saturday with a promo revealing that the show will revolve around both Clint Barton and Kate Bishop. The series is set to deal with the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame and Barton's time as Ronin, and the title treatment was clearly inspired by Matt Fraction and David Aja's comic run.

According to Jeremy Renner, we'll also see the archer "shepherd an amazing character to hopefully be a better version of [Hawkeye]." This definitely feels like it will be the actor's final appearance as Hawkeye, and while there was no mention of who will be playing Kate, we'll probably hear about that early next year as a premiere date of Fall 2021 has been set which is quite a wait.

The MCU's New Thor

Last week, we learned that Taika Waititi is returning to direct a fourth Thor movie. Little did we know what he had planned, though. During his appearance at the panel, the filmmaker talked about how he would read Jason Aaron's The Mighty Thor comic book series while shooting Thor: Ragnarok and told fans that there's only one woman he could see playing the female God of Thunder.

That is Natalie Portman, and despite not being seen in the MCU since 2013's Thor: The Dark World, she's coming back for Thor: Love and Thunder to reprise the role of Jane Foster and become Thor.

The actress was presented with Thor's hammer by Waititi and held it high above her head. Big changes are coming to the MCU, and while Chris Hemsworth will be making an appearance, it definitely feels like this could be a passing of the torch for the Thor mantle in this shared world.

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74 Comments

1 2

TanukiTrooper - 7/26/2019, 1:10 AM

I can't take my eyes of Waititi's expression. He's such a goof. Love it.

Vocloz - 7/26/2019, 1:16 AM

Good to see everyone's being a good sport about the new casting!!!! A sleeper favorite announcment from the panel, I reckon. Got me hyped for a character I didn't much care for.

Kumkani - 7/26/2019, 1:22 AM

@Vocloz - Sleeper favourite? This news was by far the biggest thing from SDCC. Blade was trending on Twitter.

Comicbookart - 7/26/2019, 5:35 AM

@DnA - lol Thank you.

Also ign has these surveys on their site. This one asked was your fave MCU announcement?

Blade came in second place out of over 10 thousand votes. That's how popular Blade remains and how influential Wesley Snipes was with the first Blade film.

Vocloz - 7/26/2019, 7:37 AM

@DnA - personal sleeper favorite! I was saying I don't much care for Blade but this kinda surprised me with how hyped it got me.

Kumkani - 7/26/2019, 1:25 AM

I expect Mahershala to kill it. Most unexpected Marvel project in a while.

Here's to hoping this leads to Moon Knight.

MyCoolYoung - 7/26/2019, 3:37 AM

I guess 2022 isn't that far away

SethBullock - 7/26/2019, 1:34 PM

@MyCoolYoung - Marvel should start shooting this asap, Ali is 45, give him like 3 movies and then look for a Blade Jr to replace him, there were rumors of a movie with Blade's daughter, something like that for when Ali is just too old to pretend he is an immortal vampire even with Disney's CGI magic to make him look younger.

Ali is a great actor, but Marvel should have hired someone on his 20s to make sure that if the new movies are succesful enough they can make many of them with the actor still looking like someone that doesn't age like normal people.

99OPTIMISTPRIME - 7/26/2019, 3:54 AM

BIG shoes to fill.

Jeight8 - 7/26/2019, 3:59 AM

Snipes was great but IMO he is not as Iconic as the top actors of the genere like Reeve Evans, RDJ, Jackman. Ali will be equally great, i have no doubt.

NubaX - 7/26/2019, 7:16 AM

@Jeight8 - Um.. yes he is. He is the reason why though guys are successful now. Blade was the very first Marvel Movie that was the Field test to pave the way for Spiderman, Hulk, then Captain America, Iron, then the Avengers.

He actually helped save Marvel.

He may not be as Iconic to YOU personally but he is as if not more iconic than all the characters you listed on a legendary level because he paved the way for all these movies you know and love.

superbigguy32 - 7/26/2019, 11:03 AM

@Jeight8 - “Snipes wasn’t that great”

Omegacron - 7/26/2019, 2:35 PM

@Jeight8 - He was iconic as Blade, that's all that really matters.

MartinTanley - 7/26/2019, 4:20 AM

I just re watched the first blade the other night. It's going to be hard not seeing Mr. Snipes in that role but they cast the perfect person to take over (or Ali cast himself). Marvel wouldn't go R on this would they?