Marvel Studios have big announcements at San Diego Comic-Con. The news includes the development of the Blade reboot with Mahershala Ali, who appears in True Detective, having a starring role. As we are still wrong that Eric Brooks will join MCU, Marvel announced that Bassam Tariq, Mogul Mowgli director, was hired to direct Blade. He confirmed the report and gave his insight into what we should expect of his vampire hunter version. Though the first Blade movie led by Wesley Snipes went before the first X-Men film two years ago, it wasn’t easy to realize that it was based on a comic book. It is not because of the relative obscurity of each character but because the horror genre felt more at home.
How will be the Blade Reboot?
In an interview with The Playlist Podcast, Bassam Tariq was asked whether Blade reboot would feel like a traditional MCU entry or more like a horror movie. He gave the following answer: “All we care about is the character, something significant for me. I am not into the genre, but character. The most important thing is where the character has to go. It is not as boxed as people think it is, including me, but it is exciting. The real issue is that there is no Blade canon. If you are a comic fan, you will notice there is always change. ‘Oh, this is the story, this is the story.’ What is a canon? It is different from Peter Parker(his real name). Some comics name him Fred H. Blade rather than Eric Brooks. Unfortunately, it did not last for long, despite how interesting it was. There are always exciting and interesting waves, but all I can say is that the character is a priority.”
Who is in the Blade?
Wesley Snipes has boosted the popularity of Blade courtesy of his three films released in 2004 and 1998. Bassam Tariq is right that how deep the roots of a characters’ comic book go, there is less to work with, unlike popular Marvel superheroes like The Hulk or Spider-Man. Therefore, it seems like the creative team, including Tariq and Stacy Osei-Kuffour, the screenwriter, has room for leaving a distinctive mark for the MCU on Blade. However, we will still see him as the Daywalker slicing vampires. In the interview, Bassam Tariq also mentioned how honored he felt for his selection as the Blade reboot director. He considers himself serving Stacy Osei-Kuffour, who has credits in writing like Pen 15 for Hulu and Watchmen for HBO. A report in February stated that Stacy would do the Blade script. While Tariq kept the plot details about the reboot classified, it felt like he was impressed with Stacy’s work. In addition, it would still be alright if Blade names Mahershala Ali as Fred H. Blade.
Blade Is Not Obliged To Comics Canon
Besides the announcement of Bassam Tariq as the director, Blade film will be among the newest heroes of the MCU. In July, Bassam, who joined the project, insights that Marvel Comics Lore will not bog down the film. The comments Bassam gave at The Playlist Podcast are encouraging, given that Blade is not popular with the general audience. As Wesley Snipes had a trilogy of films with leading roles, the current comic book movie was far behind. But it paved the way for the film. The Blade is among the prominent comics characters. For instance, a fan who sees two or even one comic book film annually can give you the origin of Spider-Man, Superman, or Batman. The general audiences are likely to be introduced to the characters’ creation of Iron Man and Star-Lord through the films. When you look keenly at the comments Bassam gave, a character’s iterations are essential concepts in comic books. Marvel has also embraced the idea in the fourth phase, with Loki introducing variants to lead the charge. It is still unknown which iteration that Mahershala Ali Blade star will play in the forthcoming film.
The Plot
Blade or Eric Brooks first appeared in July 1973 in the comics. His popular origin started when he was born. Deacon Frost is the doctor who was handling the pregnancy of his mother and was a vampire. He passed his vampire status to Brook when he murdered his mother, which made Blade be partially a vampire and somewhat immune to the bites of a vampire. Brook is a member of the comics teams, from Vampire Hunters to Nightstalkers. In the former, his mission was to look for Frost, his mother’s killer. It sounds exciting to see what Bassam Tariq will adapt from the storylines of different comics and attach them to his film. Marvel has developed movies that prioritize their universe, sprinkling each project with Easter eggs for the comic fans. Blade’s release date is not assigned yet. However, there are reports that the filming would start in July 2022. As such, an announcement will be made as more updates emerge. Meanwhile, let us focus on the next big thing that the superhero franchise offers on the big screen.
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