A new version of Blade is set to debut in Marvel Animation’s upcomingMarvel Zombiesseries, proving Wesley Snipes' Blade fromDeadpool & Wolverinevery wrong. Before Mahershala Ali is introduced as the newEric Brooks, a.k.a. Blade, in theMCU, Wesley Snipes reprised the role from theBladetrilogy, which ran between 1998 and 2004. Snipes returned inDeadpool & Wolverinealongside the likes of Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Dafne Keen’s Laura and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, each paying respect to, and making jokes about, their previous stints in their respective superhero movies.
Mahershala Ali made a voice cameo asBlade inEternals’post-credits scene, but the development of his debut solo movie, Marvel Studios’Bladereboot, has been incredibly tumultuous.Bladehas now been delayed indefinitely, which makes one of Wesley Snipes' jokes fromDeadpool & Wolverineeven more prevalent. Now, however, Marvel has swiftly proved Wesley Snipes' Blade wrong, as a brand-new iteration of the Daywalker will be introduced in theupcoming animatedMarvel Zombiesseries, which is set to premiere in October 2025.
Marvel Zombies Will Introduce Another Blade Variant
Marvel Zombies' First Footage Revealed A New Blade
On October 30, Marvel Studios released a look ahead at its Disney+ releases in the rest of 2024 and in 2025, revealing new footage for many upcoming shows, including theMarvel Zombiesseries. Although brief, thenew footage forMarvel Zombiesrevealed that a variant of Blade will be introduced in the series.Blade is seen fighting zombies alongside Yelena Belova and the Red Guardian, which is expected to reveal more about these three new Marvel heroes, who have currently seen little development in the live-action MCU.
It’s unclear whether the version of Blade inMarvel Zombieswill be voiced by Mahershala Ali. The Academy Award-winning actor is said to still be in good spirits about thedevelopment of the MCU’sBladereboot, despite a series of major delays and lost writers and directors.The version of Blade inMarvel Zombiesseems wildly different from Wesley Snipes' previous portrayal, and is far from what is expected from Mahershala Ali’s iteration in the MCU, putting to bed an unusual and controversial comment inDeadpool & Wolverine.
Blade In Marvel Zombies Proves Deadpool & Wolverine’s Blade Wrong
Wesley Snipes' Blade Is Not The Only One
Finding themselves in the Void at the End of Time inDeadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds and Jackman’s eponymous heroes teamed up with the Resistance team in the battle against Cassandra Nova. It was great to seeWesley Snipes reprise his role of Bladeafter 20 years, but this raised some concerns about the lack of focus on Mahershala Ali’s new version of the Daywalker.This was most prominent when Snipes' Blade declared that"there’s only been one Blade, [and] there will only ever be one Blade.“
Blade’s Development Hell Timeline Fully Explained
Amid a slew of writer and director changes, Blade’s entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Mahershala Ali continues to be delayed.
This played as a joke toward the rough production period of the MCU’sBlademovie, as it may have seemed as though Mahershala Ali’s Blade would never actually grace the screen after hisEternalsdebut. The new footage forMarvel Zombiescompletely disproves this line, however, as a new Blade is about to be introduced to the MCU. This joke didn’t make much sense anyway, asSticky Fingaz already played Bladein the eponymous TV series, and Ali voiced the character in the MCU, and many other versions of the character have appeared various animated projects.
Why Blade’s Appearance In Marvel Zombies Is So Exciting
Blade Seems Merged With Another Hero In Marvel Zombies
In the new footage forMarvel Zombies, Blade can curiously be seen with glowing white eyes and a white cape. This has led some to speculate thatthis universe’s version of Blade could be the avatar of the Egyptian God of the Moon, Khonshu, making him this reality’s Moon Knight. In the MCU,Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector is Moon Knight, the Fist of Vengeance, but it would be interesting to see Blade operate with the incredible powers gifted by Khonshu’s possession inMarvel Zombies. As two major supernatural heroes, this could be a match made in heaven.
Marvel Zombies
Cast
Released on Disney+, Marvel Zombies is the continuation of Marvel’s What If…? episode 5, where an animated version of the MCU is overrun by zombies.
