There are many things that Marvel fans have been waiting for throughout the Multiverse Saga and the first look at Mahershala Ali as Blade is among them. It wouldn't be too out-there or bold to claim that it might even be among the top five things they want to see, because the movie has been in the works since 2019 and there has been little forward movement on it since.
Recent rumors even claimed that the project had been cancelled and that Ali would be welcomed into the franchise as the Daywalker in a completely different title. Although those rumors weren't verified by Marvel, there were a number of reports claiming that the film was either on hold or on the verge of cancellation, which left us all thinking we'd never get to see Ali take on the role of the iconic vampire hunter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
But a variation of our dreams came true last week when the first official look at Ali suited up as a Blade variant was released, and fans were quick to take to social media to share their thoughts.
MCU fans react to Mahershala Ali's Blade variant in What If...?
Last week, character designer for Marvel Animation's What If...? Justin Kim shared an image of the Blade variant that appeared in the show's series finale. This variant was an alternate version of the character from within the MCU's Multiverse who had become his universe's Moon Knight. And although we had briefly seen the character appear in the show's final episode, his face was concealed. This artwork, however, confirms that the Moon Knight Blade variant uses Mahershala Ali's likeness, becoming the first official look at him as a version of the character in a Marvel Studios project.
Naturally, fans were stunned by the image, with the general consensus being that it only makes them long to see Ali play the primary version of Blade in a live-action movie. One user tweeted "Man , I just want the Blade movie", while another added "this looooks sooooo dope". Another agreed, saying that they are "super hyped for this look."
While the fact that Marvel used Ali's likeness in a recent project clearly confirms that they still plan on having him play the role in the MCU, some fans can't help but feel frustrated by the reminder that the movie still hasn't happened after six years of waiting. One fan responded to the artwork by saying "Thats cool, but we need the regular blade, with a new rated R movie", while another said "it’s feeling like we’re never actually getting that Blade movie". That latter tweet seems to reflect a fear among the Blade fans, as one also said: "this might be the only time we see" Ali as the character.
Check out the artwork yourself here:
Seeing the artwork also feels like Marvel missed an opportunity to actually have Blade appear as Moon Knight in a more regular role in What If...?. The cameo in the series finale's closing moments is undoubtedly something else, but it would have been great to see him in a more active capacity, especially as it might have allowed Ali to actually voice the character. After all, he did voice the Daywalker in an uncredited cameo in the post-credits scene of Eternals, so he's done some voicework for Blade already. Now we just need him to actually appear in a movie or series.
But, again, the good news in all of this is that Blade himself bears Mahershala Ali's resemblance. It might be variant, but it's the first time that we see a Blade exclusive to the MCU (outside of Wesley Snipes' returning original Blade in Deadpool and Wolverine) and it uses Ali's likeness. That is confirmation in and of itself that when the vampire hunter does make his way onto screens to take on the creatures of the night in the MCU, it will still be Mahershala Ali playing the role.
Hopefully he makes the jump to live-action sooner rather than later.