By changing Blade's actor from Wesley Snipes to Mahershala Ali in Marvel's upcoming Blade, the character will likely have entirely different strengths and weaknesses. Blade has long had a cult following of comic book fans, largely thanks to his depiction in 1998's Blade by Wesley Snipes. After receiving a trilogy of movies the character is finally returning, this time to the MCU and played by actor Mahershala Ali in 2023's Blade. Wesley Snipes' Blade was a strong fighter, with constant hand-to-hand fight scenes inspired by Snipes' history with martial arts and as an action movie hero. Mahershala Ali doesn't have this same background, but is an excellent actor in his own right, which could lead to a less physical, but more interesting take on the character.
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Mahershala Ali is known to comic book moviegoers for his work as Cottonmouth in Luke Cage season 1, and as the voice of Aaron Davis from Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. Both characters are complex and emotionally driven, and Ali delivers very believable performances. While Ali is drawn toward complexity, Wesley Snipes' characters of the 1980s and 90s were much more direct. He was a bold action hero, mastering fight scenes fueled by his multiple black belts and years of experience in several martial arts. The MCU's Blade may not be able to compete with these intense action sequences. While audiences may not be likely to see Dracula getting suplexed in the MCU, Ali's strength in developing characters' emotional sides could depict the character in a refreshing way.
In Marvel comics, Blade is a half-vampire (known as a Dhampir) who hunts other vampires and creatures of the night. Empowered with enhanced strength, agility, senses, and an improved healing factor, he's also a master of weaponry ranging from firearms to swords, and a master of martial arts. Wesley Snipes' Blade strongly emphasized these attributes of the character, with the film becoming known for its over-the-top fight scenes. Mahershala Ali doesn't have the same intense martial arts background as Wesley Snipes, meaning it's unlikely that Marvel's Blade movie will feature the same level of physical intensity as its 1998 predecessor. But 2023's Blade instead has the chance to show the character's complex relationship with his vampirism and how Blade has to use the abilities of his enemies to survive.
How The MCU's Blade Can Differ From Wesley Snipes
When the MCU's Blade releases next year, Marvel has a chance to create a very engaging and emotional story that plays to Ali's strengths as an actor. Ali's Blade could take advantage of the character's more supernatural and mystical abilities, depicting a side of the character that hasn't been shown quite as much until now. Blade's sword and guns are still sure to appear, but hand-to-hand combat may not be the driving focus of the movie, at least not in the same way that it was with Snipes' version of the vampire Blade. Even on a technical level, Ali is not going to be able to incorporate years of martial arts experience into his performance like Snipes, but audiences will get to see another side the Daywalker on the big screen.
Ali's Blade is likely going to be a less physical and more introspective take on the vampire-hunter. Wesley Snipes set an amazing standard for comic book hero movies in 1998, and is largely to thank for the eventual dominance of superhero cinema. However, modern audiences are equally drawn to complex characters doing their best in difficult situations as they are to pure fun and adrenaline-filled scenes. Each take on the character will have its own strengths, and Blade is sure to draw audiences of both classic and modern superhero movies.