Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Blade

  • Kit Harington’s Black Knight May Return in Mahershala Ali’s ‘Blade’

    Kit Harington’s Black Knight May Return in Mahershala Ali’s ‘Blade’

    The end of Eternals finally introduced the MCU to the Ebony Blade. Kit Harington‘s Dane Whitman opened a box to unleash the cursed weapon, but that was not all. He is suddenly greeted by a voice off-screen that was later confirmed to be Mahershala Ali‘s Blade. Of course, it made us wonder what this might mean for the character’s future as the Black Knight and it seems that they may be setting up an appearance in his upcoming solo film.

    ComicBook had the chance to sit down with Eternals VFX Supervisor Stephane Ceretti, who revealed that the Ebony Blade will return in the upcoming Blade solo film, as he talks about passing on the work they did so that Martin Lawson, who is taking over a similar role for the upcoming solo film, can build upon that.

    The funny thing is my second on the show, which is Martin Lawson my additional supervisor, is actually going to be supervising Blade very soon. So I told him, I said, ‘I’m giving that to you as a gift, use it wisely and make good out of it.’ But I’m sure it’s going to do actually even better.

    Stephane Ceretti

    It would make sense that they build upon the scene from Eternals, but we also know very little about the plot of the upcoming vampire-hunting film. Perhaps Whitman becomes an unlikely ally that has to help him in stopping a new type of vampire. He would make for a great everyman and actually be involved with the story unlike in his introduction. Of course, there’s always the chance that the blade might make an appearance, but it would seem strange not to include its iconic wielder.

    Source: ComicBook

  • Marvel Studios ‘Blade’ Looks to Be Building a Vampire Hunting Team

    Marvel Studios ‘Blade’ Looks to Be Building a Vampire Hunting Team

    After originally being scheduled to begin production in September of 2021 before being delayed, Marvel Studios Blade project is back pre-production ahead of an expected August 2022 start. Recently, some still shots of a Zoom meeting that included star Mahershala Ali, writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour, and the director Bassam Tariq along with Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, made their way online and, over the last couple of days, some character descriptions for roles currently being cast have surfaced. And while Marvel Studios doesn’t give too much away in the character descriptions used for casting, the most recent one included one hint that may point in one very particular direction.

    Yesterday, a description for a character code named “Abid” made its way around the internet. “Abid” is described as a burly, South Asian character who has taken a vow of silence after a turbulent life. While it’s not a perfect translation of the character, “Abid” sounds incredibly similar to Taj Nital, a one-time ally of Blade and a member of one of Marvel Comics’ first group of vampire hunters.

    Taj was indeed a burly, South Asian character who was first introduced in Tomb of Dracula #3, who did not speak; however, in the comics, he didn’t speak because he had his throat ripped out by vampires, so a slight change there. Taj, along with Rachel van Helsing, the granddaughter of great vampire hunter Abraham van Helsing, worked with Quincy Harker to hunt down the world’s oldest vampire threat, Dracula. Harker, the son of Jonathan and Mina Harker from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, eventually worked with Frank Drake, a descendant of Dracula, and Blade to take on the vampire nation.

    If “Abid” is Taj, it’s possible that the other character descriptions that surfaced recently might be for Harker and Rachel van Helsing. Marvel Studios often casts in groups that will be working together, so “Huntley”, described as a man, 40-60, could be Harker, and “Faiza”, a French-speaking North African female between 20 and 40 could be a new take on Rachel. Obviously this is speculation, but it’s sensible speculation that these characters will be working together since they are casting them at the same time.

    Of course, the most exciting thing about these potential casting is that IF these characters are Harker’s vampire hunters, it’s very likely that Blade will be used not only to introduce vampires to the MCU, but also to bring Dracula in right away. Given Harker and van Helsing’s relationship to Dracula, it’s hard to imagine him not showing up if these are, in fact, those characters.

    Marvel Studios Blade will film from August until December of this year and currently has no release date.

  • ‘Blade’ Pre-Production Meeting Photos Surface Online

    ‘Blade’ Pre-Production Meeting Photos Surface Online

    Here’s a curious detail that found its way online. There are many exciting projects in the works for Marvel Studios and we’re all wondering how different the future might look. With so many in development, there have been a few projects that were a bit quieter over the last couple of months. Among them is the Mahershala Ali-led Blade film, which we’ve been anticipating some updates on. Well, it seems that a meeting between the team has found its way online.

    In the first image, it seems that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, vice president Louis D’Esposito, Screenwriter Stacy Osei-Kuffour, and the director Bassam Tariq among others are discussing the film which may be gearing up for pre-production or is already in the process of it.

    There’s another image shared by Osei-Kuffour on her Instagram that features Blade himself, Ali, in the call. The image, however, is no longer available in her teams as she probably deleted it shortly after posting it. Feige and D’Esposito are absent though. This image, as was the first, was shared by @SPNBladeNews.

    It’s still unsure how far they are already in development with the project, but it seems likely that they’re about to, or have already started pre-production. If they are meeting up like this, they may be discussing some final details before they jump into the project. We can’t wait to see how they’ll tackle this iconic franchise and how they may build upon the cinematic legacy left behind by the original franchise, as well as build up a new section within the MCU.

    Source: Twitter

  • Recast, Reboot, Retire or Reprise: What’s the Right Choice for Other Marvel Netflix Characters

    Recast, Reboot, Retire or Reprise: What’s the Right Choice for Other Marvel Netflix Characters

    With Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox reprising their respective roles as Kingpin and Matt Murdock this week and rumors swirling that other cast members from the Netflix Defenders-verse series might join them, we decided to take a look at who should come back and who should be left behind. Note that this is not all-encompassing and that there’s no real metric here, much less any consistency. Sometimes we want the actor and not the role; other times we want the role but not the actor; other times we want neither. To make it easy, we cast a verdict on each character: recast the role, reboot the character with the same actor, retire the character or have the same actor reprise the same role. Because the world is hard, sometimes had to pick more than one.

    The Big 4

    Each of the following actors led at least 2 seasons of a solo series on Netflix as well as popping up in either Defenders or another series.

    • Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle
      Whether or not Marvel Studios plans on using the Punisher in the near future is certainly a great topic for debate, but that debate is for another day. The topic here is whether or not Bernthal is the man for the job should they chose to bring the character into the MCU and, fortunately, there’s not much of debate to be had. As he almost always does, Bernthal inhabited the role of Castle in a way that many actors just couldn’t do. If we are going to see the Punisher again, it has to be Bernthal.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Mike Colter as Luke Cage
      Colter is a case of Netflix missing the mark on why they cast the character. Colter is a solid actor. His work on CBS’s Evil has been excellent; however, he seems to be, in general, more comfortable in roles that require a more subdued persona and, to me, that’s just not Luke Cage. If Cage is coming back, the actor has to have BIG energy and charisma. The man lead the New Avengers and as much as I love Colter, I can’t see him effectively convincing Dr. Strange, Spider-Man and Captain Marvel that they should be following his orders.
      Verdict: Recast
    • Finn Jones as Danny Rand
      In a shared universe that includes Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, there’s simply no place for Jones as the Iron Fist. While part of the problem with the character was the way he was written (Rand should be able to kick multiple asses all the time without ever having to use the Iron Fist), it’s impossible to give Jones a pass. He notably didn’t want to train and he’s also just not that great of an actor. If they give Rand another chance, it has to be with another actor.
      Verdict: Recast
    • Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones
      Ritter’s situation is nearly the opposite of Colter’s in that the role of Jones fits her specific talents incredibly well. She looks the part and believably acts the part. While the series ended on a really poor note, Ritter’s time as the character would make it incredibly hard to imagine someone else in the role.
      Verdict: Reprise

    The Supporting Cast

    Simone Missick: Actress, Misty Knight in Netflix's Luke Cage | Howard Magazine

    Each of these characters played a major, supporting role in at least one season of the Defenders-verse series.

    • Vondie Curtis-Hall as Ben Urich
      After giving one of the best performances in Season 1 of Daredevil, Curtis-Hall didn’t get a chance to come back in the role because, well, Kingpin killed off the character. One of the best cases we can make for why the Netflix series should not be canon is so Curtis-Hall can return in a role that could expand beyond Daredevil’s stories and into the greater MCU.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Rosario Dawson as Clarie Temple
      Keep the actress, ditch the character. Dawson is lights out in pretty much everything she does. Fans would love to see her jump into a bigger role like Mahershala Ali, who starred in Luke Cage, was able to do. Sorry, Claire, you stay behind, but bring Rosario into the MCU in a new role.
      Verdict: Retire
    • Scott Glenn as Stick
      One of the most unforgivable offenses made by Netflix over the course of their Defenders-verse series was their portrayal of the Hand. As Charles V. has said over and over again, “it’s really hard to screw up undead ninjas”, but they did it. If there’s one Daredevil-centric thing they could fix that would really spice up the whole MCU, it’s the Hand. And if the Hand is back, Stick should be back and if we’re getting Stick, it’s gotta be Scott Glenn.
      Verdict: Reboot
    • Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson
      Foggy is such an important part of the story of Matt Murdock that he absolutely must be involved in whatever stories are told going forward. Henson, however, never seemed the right fit and it’s almost certain a recast would land better with fans.
      Verdict: Recast
    • Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing
      Henwick was one of the brightest stars over the two seasons of Iron Fist. It was recently revealed that she had to pass on a role in Shang-Chi in order to land her role in the upcoming Matrix sequel, so obviously Marvel Studios is keen to work with her again. Henwick should absolutely be in the MCU. Whether that’s as Collen Wing or in another role is the question. Should she enter into the MCU in another role, that would really make it hard to consider Iron Fist “canon”, however. There is certainly a great Daughters of the Dragon story to be tole with Wing and Misty Kinght, should they want to keep Henwick in a version of the same role.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Simone Missick as Misty Knight
      Speaking of…Missick was dynamite as Misty Knight, bringing some of the charisma to Luke Cage that Colter did not. Seeing Missick return as Knight, perhaps to team up with Sam Wilson as she has recently in the comics would be fantastic.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Debra Ann Woll as Karen Page
      The vote here is no, but not for the reasons you might think. Woll was great as Karen Page. She was better than great. But as the story of Matt Murdock/Daredevil moves on, Marvel Studios would be wise to move away from the dark, Frank Miller inspired arcs that we integral to the Netflix series and adapt some other authors’ work. Modern day runs by Charles Soule and Mark Waid would top the list and wouldn’t require more of Page, a character whose continued story would only continue to drag Matt through Hell.
      Verdict: Retire
    • Elodie Yung as Elektra
      Yung checked all the boxes as Elektra: sleek, sexy, dangerous and talented. If they should choose to do another story with the Hand or just with Elektra, it’d be hard to find someone who both looked and played the part as well as Yung. Bring her back!
      Verdict: Reprise

    The Villains

    David Tennant Would Love Purple Man to be in an Avengers Movie
    • Wilson Bethel as Bullseye
      Bethel’s time as Bullseye was just getting started when the plug was pulled on the Defenders-verse. He gave a great portrayal and would be fully capable of holding his own on screen again with Cox. Bring back Bullseye and bring back Bethel.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Alice Eve as Typhoid Mary
      Eve seemed like an out of place casting at the time, but she did fine in the role. Moving forward, however, it seems appropriate to have an entirely different version of the character and I don’t think anyone would be upset to see a new actress in the role.
      Verdict: Reboot and Recast
    • Bob Gunton as Leland Owlsley
      Love Gunton, but he was playing the comic book Owl in the same way that Fra Fee is playing comic book Kazi, which is to say not at all. There is certainly room for the Owl in this newly carved out corner of organized crime in the MCU, but not for this version. A younger actor and totally different characterization are in order.
      Verdict: Reboot and Recast
    • Theo Rossi as “Shades” Alvarez
      You might think that with all the characters and actors we didn’t include on the list, that Rossi is a surprise. He might be but his son, Victor Alvarez, could join the MCU’s other young heroes down the road. Rossi was creepy and slimy in the role. It would only be a bit part if he came back, so let’s see him back so we can get to his much more important offspring.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • David Tennant as Purple Man
      Tennant joins D’Onofrio and Ali in the trinity of great Defender-verse performances as villains. Ali has moved into the MCU in larger role as Blade. D’Onofrio is back. It might be a stretch to bring Purple Man into the current MCU unless the want to do the big Breakout arc from New Avengers, but getting Tennant back on board in that role or any other would be fantastic.
      Verdict: Reprise
    • Wil Traval as Nuke
      Nope. Give us a real Nuke in a future Cap movie. Scrap the actor and forget the character ever existed.
      Verdict: Reboot and Recast
    • Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Marianna
      Zurer was fire as Vanessa. Both the actress and the character were amazing. However, the MCU’s Kingpin isn’t going to have 13 hours of time to tell a bunch of personal stories, so unfortunately, unless we get a Kingpin series, neither Zurer or Vanessa need to make the jump.
      Verdict: Retire

    Make sure to sound off in the comments on who you’d like to see reprise their roles and who you think should be left behind.

  • Amy Pascal Open to a Possible Blade-Morbius Crossover

    Amy Pascal Open to a Possible Blade-Morbius Crossover

    If the trailers for Spider-Man: No Way Home are any indication, no villain is truly off the table for Marvel Studios. The film is set to be a crossover of multiple Spider-Man franchises, with characters from both the iconic Sam Raimi films and the cult favorite Marc Webb movies set to appear in the MCU film. With this in mind, it doesn’t seem far-fetched that other characters from Sony’s Spider-Man Universe could show up in the MCU as well.

    This is the same thing Geeks of Color must have been thinking when they asked Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and longtime Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal what they thought about the potential of a Blade and Morbius meet-up happening somewhere down the line. After Feige pondered the question enthusiastically, Pascal took charge with an answer:

    Blade and Morbius, that’s a cool idea. We, uh, y’know – the future…You never know what’s going to happen. There are all sorts of possibilities.

    Amy Pascal

    The response is not a straight-up rejection of the question, but it isn’t a full confirmation either. Blade and Morbius have a long history together in the pages of Marvel’s comic books. The vampiric duo has been both friend and foe, battling each other and teaming up as part of the supernatural group the Midnight Sons. Morbius was even set to be the main antagonist of Blade II at one point, which is a deleted scene from Blade featuring a distant look at the character. While that never came to pass, it doesn’t seem like the people in charge of the pair’s future are opposed to making it happen at some point.

    Source: Geeks of Color

  • Mahershala Ali’s Introduction to Blade was the 1998 Wesley Snipes Film

    Mahershala Ali’s Introduction to Blade was the 1998 Wesley Snipes Film

    Blade is technically the grandfather of Marvel’s cinematic ventures. When the Stephen Norrington-directed film was released in 1998, it revolutionized not only superhero films for many years to come, but also played an integral role in representation within cinemas. Soon, Mahershala Ali will take on that very role as part of a wider universe, the fittingly titled Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    While still professionally avoiding questions on the project, Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast got a chance to ask the actor how he was introduced to the character. It seems, he went through the same story as many of us, as he states that:

    Well, only what I discovered like everyone else in the 90s with Wesley Snipes. […] I don’t think the guy even notice how at that time I was just accustomed to there not being black superheroes. The best you got was, like, He-Man, there was, I forget the character’s name in that, there was supposed to be a black character. At least, he was voiced by a black guy and modeled after a black guy, […] but you just weren’t seeing anyone. Once Spawn came out and Blade, then it was really exciting just to have some superheroes that look like you.

    Mahershala Ali

    It once again highlights how rare it was back in the day for kids of any age to feel represented in media. While downplayed, many kids from different backgrounds look for heroes they can look up to. So, there’s an important reason why Ali is tacking on the role and its importance of carrying on the torch that was lit by Black Panther, as he also briefly discusses in the podcast.

    Source: Variety

  • Mahershala Ali on Taking On the Mantle of Blade After Wesley Snipes

    Mahershala Ali on Taking On the Mantle of Blade After Wesley Snipes

    It was quite a surprise when during the last San Diego Comic-Con attended by Marvel Studios when Mahershala Ali walked out on stage. What caught us even more by surprise was the reveal of him taking on the role of Eric Brooks, the famous vampire hunter feared as Blade. Of course, he’s not the first to take on the role, as he’ll take over from Wesley Snipes, who played the character back in 1998.

    In an interview with Jake’s Takes to the new Apple film Swan Song, he was asked about what makes his version different from Snipes take. The Academy Award winner gave a great response on what it means about tackling this kind of role and carrying on the mantle:

    You know, what I look forward to is earning it. I look forward to earning, you know, there’s an anticipation for it, there’s an excitement for it that he owns, that Mr. Snipes owns, you know? And so in filling his shoes, I’m just working to earn my place in this. And I’m excited to get going and do the work.

    Mahershala Ali

    We only got a voice clip of the actor as Blade during Eternals post-credit sequence, and we still don’t know when the project will enter production. But you can see that the actor is excited about the role and we can’t wait to see his take on the character. You can check out the full interview here:

    Source: YouTube

  • The Pulse: Collecting the Biggest News of the Week of November 14th-20th

    The Pulse: Collecting the Biggest News of the Week of November 14th-20th

    Doctor Strange 2 Adding More Cast in Reshoots

    Rintrah the Magical Minotaur to Arrive in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?

    After people got very upset at the prospect of a Marvel Studios film undergoing reshoots, some folks with their ears to the ground came through with some info that made a lot of sense. As it turns out, the reshoots aren’t because the film is “a mess”, but rather to get some more cast, who were unavailable during principal photography, into the film.

    A New Daredevil Project is In Development

    Daredevil star Charlie Cox explains where the Ben Affleck film went wrong

    According to a grid leaked by Daniek RPK, Marvel Studios in now developing a solo Daredevil project. There was no indication if the project is meant for theaters or Disney Plus and we still don’t know if Charlie Cox is continuing his portrayal of the Netflix character or starting from scratch. This one looks like it’ll be a ways off yet, but we can all see Cox pretty soon in No Way Home.

    Denis Villeneuve is Cancelling Sting

    Sting Reportedly Plans to Wrestle for AEW After Agreeing to Multiyear Contract | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights

    Uber-visionary mega-auteur Denis Villeneuve has finally gone too far. Rather than de-age the nearly ageless Sting, or simply insert his scenes into Dune Part 2, Villeneuve has plans to bring a new actor in for the role of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. This is an instance of the director absurdly believing the character is more important than the actor. Surely this will backfire.

    Black Panther 2 Taking an Extended Holiday Break

    Black Panther Actor Letitia Wright Quits Social Media - PAPER

    As Letitia Wright continues to recover from injuries she sustained while filming in August, the production on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has wrapped…for the year. A note was delivered to the cast and crew this week that indicated they would all be home for the holidays...all of the holidays…and production would get geared up again in January. The delay is not expected to shift the film’s release date, so stop the drama!

    Avatar is Underway

    Avatar: The Last Airbender' Netflix live-action release date, cast, trailer, plot, news, and updates

    The Netflix live-action adaptation of Avatar has begun production and the cast continues to fill in nicely. Fans are eagerly scouring the internet for any kernel of info about the new series and so are we! Keep checking back for more.

    ScarJo is Back At Marvel For Something

    Black Widow's Endgame Death Didn't Surprise Scarlett Johansson

    After suing Disney over the contractual issues surrounding the home release of Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson is, according to Kevin Feige, back to work for Marvel Studios. While the master of dissembling didn’t say what she was working on, he did say what she wasn’t: it won’t be a Black Widow project. He also didn’t mention if she was starring in the project or directing/producing, so really who the hell knows?

    Jamie Dornan Has Talked to Marvel Studios about a Clothed Role

    How Jamie Dornan Found His Comfort Zone with 'Endings, Beginnings' – The Hollywood Reporter

    50 Shades stud Jamie Dornan has started to break out of the pigeon-sized hole his role in those films put him in and now he’s revealed that he has spoken to Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, about a potential hero role in a Marvel Studios production. It’ll be interesting to see the Irish actor transition from S&M to CBM, but if anyone can do it, it’s Henry Cavill lite.

    ‘Ahsoka’ Series Has Found a Sabine Wren

    Sabine Wren Voice Actor Reacts To Live-Action Casting Calls - Small Screen

    Since it was revealed that the general premise of the Ahsoka series would be the search for Ezra, fans have been waiting to find out who would be cast as Sabine Wren. Natasha Liu Bordizzo is the big winner as it was revealed this week she’d be filling the armor and and teaming up with Rosario Dawson in the series.

    Marvel Studios ‘Blade’ is Sharpening Up

    Spike Lee Reacts to Da 5 Bloods Oscar Shutout, Tributes Delroy Lindo | IndieWire

    It’s been nearly radio silent on the MCU’s Blade reboot since Kevin Feige announced it at SDCC ’19. That’s all changing now as the casting process has begun in earnest ahead of a late-Summer of 2022 start of production. Delroy Lindo, simply one of the coolest men on the face of the planet, has been cast in an undisclosed role alongside star Mahershala Ali. Murphy’s money is on Lindo playing Jamal Afari, Blade’s father figure and mentor in the ways of staking vampires.

  • ‘Blade’ Eyeing Late Summer 2022 Production Start

    ‘Blade’ Eyeing Late Summer 2022 Production Start

    After a bit of silence, we finally got the announcement that Marvel Studios’ adaptation of Blade is in final negotiations for Da 5 Bloods‘ Delroy Lindo to join the project. The film will see Mahershala Ali take on the iconic role that introduces the concept of vampires into the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic universe. We’re still waiting for a sign when the project might start production. Well, it turns out the announcement article on Lindo‘s casting was hiding away a little note.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is planning a late Summer 2022 production start. It would put it on time to potentially release in Halloween of 2023. It’s not uncommon for these projects to shift around depending on availability and how far pre-production is. Bassam Tariq is taking on directing duties for the production based on a script by Watchmen‘s Stacy Osei-Kuffour.

    Blade just recently had his first official appearance in Eternals but was only heard as a disembodied voice in the background. It’s uncertain if he might appear in a different project ahead of release, such as the upcoming Moon Knight series that might offer a look into the supernatural world. There’s also the upcoming Werewolf by Night Halloween special that seems like a perfect time to see what he’s up to after his meeting with Dane Whitman.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Delroy Lindo in Talks to Join Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    Delroy Lindo in Talks to Join Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    Fans are eager to see the live-action return and debut of Eric Brooks in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Mahershala Ali set to star as the titular vampire hunter. Not much is known about the project but Blade already seems to be making moves on and off-screen in the MCU. The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that actor Delroy Lindo is in final negotiations to join the cast of Blade. It’s currently unknown just who he would play as that is still under wraps along with plot details. The project is currently being reported to be starting production late into the summer of 2022. Lindo is best known for his work in films like Da 5 Bloods, Gone in 60 Seconds, Malcolm X, and most recently The Harder They Fall.

    As it’s currently unknown who he would be playing, Lindo would fit pretty well as Jamal Afari. In the comics, he was Blades’ mentor who found and raised Eric since he was nine years old after he was saved from vampires. Blade would learn everything he knows in hunting vampires from the man, who was once one of the greatest hunters. He even famously faced the toughest of vampires, Dracula. The character recently made his entrance into the MCU via the post-credit scene in Eternals. While you don’t see the man himself, we hear him speak to Dane Whitman just as he’s about to pick up the Ebony Blade, asking if he was sure he was ready for that. It’ll be interesting to see if Dane pops up in Blade as well, but Lindo is quite the addition to this project.

    Source: THR