Marvel’s “Blade” Casts Aaron Pierre

Marvel’s Blade was one of the most surprising additions to the MCU’s upcoming film slate, though it’s almost been universally praised, particularly for the casting of Mahershala Ali. And while there has been some crew announcements, things are progressing with the movie adding Aaron Pierre (Krypton, The Underground Railroad) to the cast.

Pierre is only the third cast member, other than Ali and veteran thespian Delroy Lindo, to be announced for the project, though what role he’ll be taking on is still under wraps. The film is set to follow the titular vampire hunter (played by Ali), who is notably taking on the role from Wesley Snipes well-regarded turn, and rapper Sticky Fingaz from the ill-fated 2000s SpikeTV series.

Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli) is set to direct the feature from a script by Stacy Osei-Kuffour. The big question that remains is what tone the film will take. The Snipes-era films had R-ratings, and made full use of that rating, with the franchise benefitting from being able to allow for more gore and foul language, as it fit the horror roots of the source material.

However, given the more family-oriented nature of the MCU, it seems likely that Blade will be aiming for a PG-13 rating, especially given that the upcoming Spider-Man spin-off, Morbius, which is a film in a very similar vein, has hit that same level. At present, there is no firm release date, though it’s expected for 2024, at the earliest. Of note, Ali did cameo with his voice only in the recent Eternals movie, and many are expecting him to also appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.