It blows my mind that Blade has been used in the MCU three times already before Mahershala Ali’s live-action debut. Confirmed to be in the works as far back as 2019, Marvel Studios’ Blade has faced nothing but problems and numerous delays ever since. While one would think a movie about the Marvel Universe’s resident vampire-hunting daywalker would be an easy enough project to produce, it’s apparently easier said than done.
Although Marvel’s Blade movie is confirmed to star Mahershala Ali in the тιтular role, there currently isn’t a concrete release date for the vampire/superhero movie. That said, Marvel Studios has still been using Blade elsewhere ahead of his solo movie, both in animation and through the wonder that is the greater Marvel multiverse. With that in mind, here’s all three times Blade has been featured thus far, where he’ll be showing up next, and our best guesses as to when Mahershala Ali will finally debut in live-action as the MCU’s Blade.
Blade Has Appeared 3 Times In The MCU Now, Without Mahershala Ali Getting To Appear On-Screen As The Iconic Marvel Character
Eternals, ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, What If…?
The first time Marvel Studios used Blade in their movies was in the post-credits scene for Eternals. In the final scene, Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman is shown opening a box with his family’s crest, containing the powerful and corruptive Ebony Blade that Whitman wields in the comics as The Black Knight. Mahershala Ali’s Blade is then heard off-screen asking Dane if he’s ready to wield the sword. As such, this technically counts as Blade’s first appearance in the MCU, though only his voice is heard.
Beyond Eternals, Wesley Snipes’ original live-action Blade was featured in 2024’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, a multiversal refugee trapped in The Void alongside Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Channing Tatum’s Gambit, and Dafne Keen’s X-23. While helping ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and Wolverine escape The Void, Snipes’ Blade ironically comments that “There’s only been one Blade. There’s only ever gonna be one Blade.“ While humorous, it’s a sentiment that is starting to feel more and more like it could become true. Last but not least, a multiversal variant of Blade as Moon Knight is included at the very end of What If…? season 3.
Blade Is Set To Appear In Another Marvel Project In 2025
Marvel Zombies
It’s also worth noting that the Blade/Moon Knight variant shown at the end of What If…? season 3 was a tease for an upcoming MCU project releasing at the end of 2025. October will see the release of the animated Marvel Zombies miniseries, featuring surviving MCU heroes struggling to survive in the reality that was first explored in What If…? season 1. Now, it’s been confirmed that a version of Blade who was chosen to serve as the Fist of Khonshu will have a key role in the upcoming 2025 series.
It’s also been reported that, like many other MCU actors, Mahershala Ali will indeed be voicing this animated Blade variant in the upcoming series. As such, this means that Marvel Zombies will bizarrely be the first MCU project to offer fans the first real look at Blade on-screen, albeit animated in a dystopian future as Moon Knight. It was obviously never Marvel’s original intention to have Marvel Zombies released before Blade’s live-action movie, which at this point was meant to have been released years ago, but here we are.
I’m Glad We’ve Gotten To See Blade, But I Can’t Believe We’ve Not Seen Mahershala Ali In The Live-Action Role On-Screen Yet
When Will The Blade Movie Actually Happen?
On the one hand, animated and alternate Blades are better than no Blades at all. That said, it’s still strange that this is the situation Marvel Studios has found itself in since first announcing the live-action Blade movie with Mahershal Ali nearly 6 years ago. While some of the delays, due to the recent writers and actors strikes in 2023 make sense, the amount of time without any kind of forward momentum for this movie is incredibly baffling.
At this point, I do think it’s safe to say that we likely won’t see a Blade movie until after 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ali was announced as part of the ensemble cast either for Secret Wars, Avengers: Doomsday, or both. In any event, I think it’s safe to say that the earliest we might see the solo Blade film is either late 2027 or early 2028, a whopping 8-9 years since the movie was first announced by Marvel Studios.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
- Release Date
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July 31, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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