Blade’s MCU Introduction Got a Big Upgrade Thanks to MARVEL ZOMBIES

With the success of X-Men ’97, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel Studios Animation is becoming a core part of the MCU’s future.

The next big swing comes with Marvel Zombies, a four-part series expanding on the fan-favorite What If…? episode and pushing the MCU into darker, horror-driven territory.

But Marvel Zombies had to make a huge pivot thanks to the ever-delayed live-action Blade film. That unexpected shift not only changed how the Daywalker would appear in the MCU, it gave him a whole new power set.

Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum explained the situation in a recent interview:

“We felt like Blade was gonna be really exciting to put on screen, and we never thought that we would come out before the live-action Blade. It was always designed to be after.

“But we knew that we’d be in concurrent development. Sometimes when you’re chasing live-action like that, if they pivot, and you don’t pivot in the same way, you get stuck because animation needs a lot more lead time.”

To avoid being boxed in by a movie that kept slipping further away from release, the creative team decided to reinvent Blade for animation. Winderbaum revealed:

“Making him the Fist of Konshu freed us up in a lot of ways, because he became now a new character with lore that we were creating for him, which let us kind of be more free and less tethered to the live action plans.”

The live-action Blade has been in development purgatory since its announcement in 2019. Despite Mahershala Ali signing on to star, the project has burned through multiple directors and writers and was eventually pulled from Marvel’s release calendar altogether.

Rumors now suggest the solo outing could be replaced by a Midnight Sons film, with Ghost Rider potentially stepping into the spotlight instead.

Ali technically made his MCU debut in 2021’s Eternals post-credit scene, though only in a voice cameo. The plan was for his standalone movie to follow soon after, officially introducing the Daywalker.

Instead, constant delays pushed that debut into uncharted territory. Adding to the mix, Wesley Snipes returned as an alternate version of Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine, but that version isn’t canon to the main MCU timeline.

Now, Marvel Zombies will officially serve as Blade’s first real appearance, though this time voiced by Todd Williams.

Showrunner Bryan Andrews admitted that wasn’t the plan, but it’s a twist he’s come to embrace:

“It was rad [seeing Blade in Marvel Zombies]. We had no idea that it would be the first. We really thought that the Blade movie would be out and done by now, so it turned into this really wonderful, surprise privilege and honor to have him come out.”

Fans have already latched onto Blade’s presence in the Marvel Zombies trailer, and Andrews couldn’t help but notice the hype:

“So the people who are nerding out over the trailer are nerding out over the big set piece of Blade. And I think it’s really high praise that when they see that, they go, ‘The movie!

“Why can’t we have a movie? It better be that cool! Oh my God!’, you know? That type of stuff is so gratifying to hear, so I’m thankful for it.”

So while Blade’s road to live-action has been frustratingly slow, his animated debut in Marvel Zombies may have given fans something even better, a fresh take on the character that isn’t held back by behind-the-scenes chaos.

Marvel Zombies premieres September 24 on Disney+.