Draft:Blade (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Blade is a fictional character portrayed by Mahershala Ali in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise produced by Marvel Studios, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. This version of the character is the second to appear in live-action, succeeding the iteration featured in the New Line Cinema franchise portrayed by Wesley Snipes and Sticky Fingaz. Born Eric Brooks, he is a dhampir often referred to as a "daywalker", a hybrid of human and vampire genetics that encompasses characteristic traits of both races. A gifted swordsman and marksman with immense knowledge of vampire lore, Blade specializes in hunting and killing vampires who pose a threat to human civilization.

Mahershala Ali began discussions with Marvel about playing the character in September 2016, before being officially cast by July 2019 following a successful pitch to the studio. The character debuted in an off-screen cameo appearance during the post-credits scene of the film Eternals (2021). He will make a full appearance as the eponymous protagonist of the upcoming film Blade (2025).

Background
The Marvel Comics character Blade was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan for a supporting appearance in The Tomb of Dracula #10 (July 1973), with his visual aesthetic derived from a composite of prolific black actors and their various mannerisms. Particular inspiration for the character's look was drawn directly from NFL football star-turned actor Jim Brown according to Colan himself. Blade would make further subsequent appearances up until issue #21, while additionally featuring in issues #24 and #28 (altogether ranging from July 1973 – Sept. 1974).

Blade's first solo story came in Marvel's black-and-white horror-comics magazine Vampire Tales #8 (Dec. 1974), in an 11-page story by Wolfman and penciller-inker Tony DeZuniga. This feature continued in issue #9 (Feb. 1975), with Wolfman and Chris Claremont co-scripting. Blade then appeared in a 56-page solo story that concluded the story begun in Vampire Tales #8-9 in the black-and-white showcase magazine Marvel Preview #3 (Sept. 1975), written by Claremont, with two chapters each drawn by DeZuniga and by Rico Rival (this story was announced for Vampire Tales #12, but was published here after that magazine was cancelled). A six-page backup story by Wolfman and Colan followed in Marvel Preview #8 (Fall 1976). The character would subsequently become affiliated with numerous characters and organizations throughout the Marvel Universe, most notably serving as a member on various iterations of the supernatural teams, the Midnight Sons and the Nightstalkers, as well as both the main Avengers and Mighty Avengers teams, among others.

Prior live-action appearances and cancelled plans
New World Pictures had initially bought the film rights to the character from Marvel, intending on making a Western-style adaptation set in Mexico with Richard Roundtree in the title role. A seperate iteration of the film starring rapper/actor LL Cool J was also briefly in development before New Line Cinema bought the production rights from New World Pictures and moved forward with the project. Under New Line, a media franchise based on the character was produced from 1998 to 2006, primarily comprising the live-action films Blade, Blade II and Blade: Trinity starring Wesley Snipes as a modernized version of the character, often considered to be a hallmark role for the actor in his career. In the films, a reworked origin story included the character being depicted as a dhampir as opposed to a human with immunity towards vampires, a change that was retroactively established within the comics canon through Blade being bitten by Morbius, the Living Vampire during the events of Peter Parker: Spider-Man #8 (August 1999). Additionally, the films would give the character an aesthetic more closely derivative of samurai warriors, with Blade himself wielding a katana as opposed to his twin daggers, another change that would be subsequently reflected within the comics. The rejuvenation of interest for mainstream films based on comic book properties has been largely attributed to the success of the first two Blade films among other movies released during the late 1990's and early 2000's such as X-Men (2000) and Spider-Man (2002). Blade in particular was noted among critics and fans for its darker tone contrasted with most comic book films at that time period, in addition to being the first successful attempt to adapt a Marvel Comics property to film, setting the stage for further adaptations based on their library of characters.

The franchise's initial success additionally led to the development of a television series continuation from the films, starring actor & rapper Sticky Fingaz in the role and airing on Spike TV. Blade: The Series was developed for television by David S. Goyer, who screenwrote all three films in the franchise in addition to directing Trinity. Goyer commented on the benefits of transitioning the character towards a television series structure, stating that the open-ended nature of a TV narrative allowed the creative team more opportunities to explore the inner machinations of the vampire mythology in comparison to the films. He would elaborate in a later interview, "What the series is, in a weird way, is kind of like Wiseguy with vampires, because Jill's character (Krista Starr) is kind of a double agent working for Blade, within the vampire community, and [we're] treating the vampires sort of like the ultimate crime family. Blade realizes at the beginning of the pilot that he's not making much headway, just sort of hacking and slashing, that he needs to know more about their inner workings". The series would ultimately be cancelled after its first season, with co-writer Geoff Johns citing increasing production costs relative to the up and coming nature of the network as being a significant roadblock in Spike TV being able to pick up the show for further episodes. Had the series continued, there were plans to debut the character Marc Spector / Moon Knight in live-action through the show after his presence had been alluded to during the first season. His inclusion in the show would've served as a backdoor pilot for a Moon Knight television series that similarly never materialized as a result.

Several attempts were made by New Line Cinema since the conclusion of the film and television series to rejuvenate the IP prior to the film rights returning to Marvel Studios. Blade (1998) director Stephen Norrington planned to make a trilogy of Blade prequel films, featuring actor Stephen Dorff reprising his role from the first film as Deacon Frost. Actress Kate Beckinsale later revealed in 2016 that New Line were previously developing a sequel to Blade: Trinity that would've crossed the character over with the Sony Pictures film franchise Underworld (similarly based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name) in which she plays Selene. However, the project was cancelled upon the returning of the Blade film rights to Marvel.

Return of film rights and integration into MCU
By 2011, Marvel Studios had re-acquired the film rights to Blade from New Line Cinema, which was confirmed by Marvel Entertainment's former chief creative officer (CCO) Joe Quesada at that year's San Diego Comic Con in July. By May 2013, the studio had a working spec script for a new Blade film as a part of its internal writing program, while Wesley Snipes had begun informally discussing opportunities to reprise the role with Marvel by July 2015, and persisted for two years, by that point stating that he had knowledge of two projects in development featuring the character. Actor Mahershala Ali entered similar discussions with the studio in September 2016, having established a working relationship with Marvel through his portrayal of the character Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes in the first season of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series Luke Cage (2016-2018), and expressing enthusiasm for a potential Blade reimagining. At that point in time, Marvel Television was considering developing a new series centered around the character, and Ali was drawn to Blade due to the darker tone of his stories, largely attributed to Snipes' iteration of the character, and how said tone would help it contrast with the lighter films in the superhero genre that released following the initial New Line Cinema films. The following month, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that there had been discussions about developing a show centered around Blade as part of Marvel's Netflix television series, but that nothing had materialized yet. In June 2017, Feige reiterated that the character would join the MCU at some point, as he himself considered Blade a "legacy character", citing his staying power as largely due to the success of the New Line Cinema films and how they exemplified lesser known comic book characters' surges in popularity.

Discussions between Marvel Studios and Ali were rejuvenated in early 2019 upon the actor receiving the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 91st Academy Awards, for his performance in the film Green Book (2018). Following the event, Ali personally contacted Feige and pitched a new Blade film set in the MCU, and starring himself as the character. The pitch would prove successful, as said film was officially announced with Ali in the role during Marvel Studios' Hall H panel at San Diego Comic Con that July, to be released following the MCU's Phase Four slate. The driving factors behind greenlighting a Blade reboot at this time was attributed to Ali's continued interest in the project according to Feige himself. Snipes would congratulate Ali on succeeding him in the role following the announcement, exclaiming that "Such is the 'business' of 'entertainment!'"