Avengers: Doomsday Might Be The Lifeline Blade Needs
Daywalker v Doom: Dawn of Spinoff Movie.
We’re probably not seeing Blade any time soon. Production on Marvel’s troubled reboot has been stalled for years, with reams of directors and writers coming and going. The last we heard, the film had been taken off Marvel’s upcoming slate entirely. The studio just doesn’t seem to know what to do with the vampire hunter, at least when it comes to a solo outing. But despite rumors to the contrary, Marvel hasn’t officially given up, and the franchise may now have a prime opportunity to finally give Blade the platform he deserves.
After a string of misfires, Marvel is putting all its energy into the end of the Multiverse Saga. This messy chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will culminate with Avengers: Secret Wars, a crossover involving heroes and villains from every corner of the multiverse. Over 60 characters could feature in the film and its predecessor, Avengers: Doomsday.
Marvel unleashed the first wave of casting announcements last week, but the 20-plus names announced during a five-hour live stream are just the beginning of what will likely be a whopping roster. Fan favorites like Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and Ms. Marvel may yet join the ensemble, but there’s also room for characters we haven’t seen in the MCU. Could Blade be among them? It might be wishful thinking, but introducing him in an ensemble piece could be the perfect launch point for the embattled anti-hero.
Could one of these chairs have Mahershala Ali’s name on it?
While the MCU has had no problem with origin stories in the past, something about Blade keeps tripping Marvel up. Whether it’s the legacy of the original Blade trilogy, demands from star Mahershala Ali, or general quality concerns, the studio just can’t seem to crack this film. It’s a shame that Marvel is tying itself into knots over such a straightforward character, especially since it could be overlooking a tried-and-true strategy.
Blade deserves the spotlight in his own film, but maybe the character needs a running start in an ensemble piece. Marvel has previously employed a similar strategy to great success: Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther debuted in Captain America: Civil War before headlining their respective films. Doomsday could do the same for Blade, establishing the character within the wider MCU and paving the way for an eventual solo story. It’s not the only way to salvage this troubled production, but it could be the simplest. Marvel seems to have exhausted all other avenues; after five years of frustrating failures, maybe it’s time to return to a proven formula.
