Variety reports that Bassam Tariq, director of Mogul Mowgli, is in talks to direct Marvel Studios’ Blade film. Actor Mahershala Ali was announced to portray the vampire hunter at the San Diego Comic-Con back in 2019.
As of now, the highly anticipated pic is undated, but it is expected to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four.
In February of this year, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, writer of Watchmen, was confirmed to write Blade’s script.
During the late 90s-early 2000s, Wesley Snipes played the half-vampire superhero in trilogy of box office blockbusters beginning with 1998’s Blade. The series focused on a vigilante who was a human that possesses vampire strength and protects humans from vampires. The trilogy also included 2002’s Blade II and 2004’s Blade Trinity.
The reboot became official after Ali told Marvel Studios that he wanted to continue Snipes’ legacy. Ali previously starred in the Marvel series Luke Cage for Netflix as well. The studio accepted the actor’s pitch and preparations are now underway.
Tariq’s most high-profile movie was 2020’s Mogul Mowgli starring Riz Ahmed. The filmmaker’s portfolio of documentaries and short films include These Birds Walk, 11/8/16, Red Mountain Choir, Wa’ad, Mogambo, and Ghosts of Sugar Land.
Variety also details that if Tariq is officially on board, he would join an all-star lineup of Phase Four directors (the MCU’s most diverse group yet), including Cate Shortland (Black Widow), Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Chloé Zhao (The Eternals), Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Fantastic Four), Sam Raimi (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Taika Waititi (Thor: Love and Thunder), Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Nia DaCosta (The Marvels), Peyton Reed (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) and James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3).
Marvel fans, get hyped for Blade and the rest of the MCU Phase Four films coming soon!
Photo credit: Raymond Flotat
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