As fans continue to wait for the Blade movie, production delays could also be why we haven't seen some other notable characters in a while. The 2019 announcement that Mahershala Ali would be playing the vampire hunter Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was met with wild enthusiasm from fans. However, more than five years later, the movie still hasn't happened.
After losing various directors and the entire script being reworked, Blade was removed from the MCU release schedule without any indication of when it would be back on its feet. Blade has made some sporadic appearances in the MCU since, with Ali's voice heard in the post-credits scene for Eternals and an alternate version of the character appearing in animated series Marvel Zombies. However, with a live-action Blade still not seen on-screen, it has seemingly caused some other delays.
Blade could be stalling other Midnight Sons characters
While it has been a long wait to see a proper appearance from Blade in the MCU, some key MCU characters have been missing for quite some time. The overcrowded nature of the cinematic universe may be to blame for some of these absences, but some specific characters may be missing because Blade has yet to appear.
Since the announcement of a new Blade movie, there have been discussions about the possibility of a Midnight Sons project also coming to the MCU. The Midnight Sons is a Marvel team composed of supernatural superheroes, many of whom have darker sides. Blade would be an obvious contender to lead the MCU's version of the team, and some of his likely teammates have already been introduced.
Moon Knight, Black Knight, Werewolf by Night, and Man-Thing are all characters who would be perfect for his squad. However, what these characters also have in common is that they haven't been seen in the MCU since they made their debuts between 2021 and 2022. Not only that, but there are no confirmed projects featuring them in the near-future, with none of these characters featured in the Avengers: Doomsday cast list.
With seemingly no plan for these characters, it could hint at what was planned once Blade was introduced. Once Blade led his own solo movie, Marvel Studios could have positioned him to take the lead in a Midnight Sons movie, where all of these missing characters would return as well. The fact that Blade meets Black Knight (Kit Harrington) at the end of Eternals strengthens this theory.
Could a new leader take Blade's spot?
Despite having the perfect casting of Mahershala Ali, it doesn't seem like Blade is happening anytime soon (there have been reports that it's going to come out in the next phase of the MCU but there has been no confirmation as of yet). If that is the case, the MCU needs to carry on with its Midnight Sons plans and bring back these missing characters.
Unfortunately, none of these characters feels like they are strong enough to lead a team-up movie - at least like Blade could have. While each one of them has so much more worth exploring, there needs to be some larger anchor. Luckily, the Midnight Sons also have another iconic character that fans have been waiting to see in the MCU, with Ghost Rider. Apart from an appearance in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a live-action Ghost Rider hasn't been seen since the 2007 Nicolas Cage movie.
There have been many rumors with no confirmation of Ghost Rider appearing in the MCU, but with the right big-name actor, he could be the perfect leader for a Midnight Sons movie. He is also a character who doesn't necessarily need a solo movie before he makes his appearance, which would help expedite opening the supernatural side of the MCU.