Mahershala Ali Dodges BLADE Question With a Laugh: “Leave Me Out of It!”
It’s been nearly six years since Marvel first announced Blade with two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali set to star, but the project still feels like a shadow in the MCU lineup. And now, even Ali seems to be tiptoeing around the subject.
During a lighthearted Vogue interview promoting Jurassic World Rebirth, Ali appeared alongside Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey for a round of quick-fire questions. But when Bailey was asked, “Can you name every Marvel Cinematic Universe film Scarlett and Mahershala have been in?” Ali wasn’t about to take the bait.
"Leave me out of it," he replied with a laugh. "It's a Scarlett question."
Bailey tried to nudge the topic forward, saying, "There's one that we're very excited about," referring to Blade. Johansson joined in and pressed him for more. But Ali? He wasn’t biting. He just smiled and changed the subject.
It's a moment that probably mirrors what many MCU fans are feeling, confused amusement at Blade’s stalled journey.
The vampire-hunting reboot has been through multiple creative shifts, script rewrites, and lost directors. In October 2024, Marvel even pulled it from its release calendar. Despite that, Kevin Feige offered a public reassurance last year:
“We are committed to Blade. We love the character, we love Mahershala's take on him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know. You're all up to date on what's happening. But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU.”
Delroy Lindo, who was originally cast in the film, later confirmed he was no longer involved and said the movie had gone “off the rails.” Even Ali admitted recently he “doesn’t know where Marvel is at right now.”