The original Blade trilogy was massively popular (even if critics weren’t always kind). Now the fan-favorite vampire hunter might finally return to the big screen under James Gunn.
Mahershala Ali was announced to star as the new Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But the movie hasn’t begun filming yet.
Release Updates
The Arkham series is one of the best-loved video game franchises in history. Its trilogy of games have garnered critical acclaim for their narratives, world-building, character design, gameplay, and graphics. The series has sold more than 32 million units worldwide. It has even spawned a number of spin-off titles, mobile games, two virtual reality games, and tie-in comic books that establish a continuity often referred to as the Arkhamverse.
The games showcase some of the most iconic villains in Batman?s rogues gallery, including Mr. Freeze, Poison Isley, and Clayface, while also introducing fan-favorites like Nightwing, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman. Many non-comic book adaptations are afraid to include fantastical characters in their storytelling, but the Arkham franchise expertly incorporated these elements into its narratives. This is something that so many future DCU movies should take note of.
The Arkham series also made use of a fantastic back-and-forth fight with Deathstroke, which was probably the most well-designed boss fight in the entire franchise. This is a fight that so many other games should learn from, as it demonstrates how to create an intense fight sequence with a highly-trained assassin. It is a shame that more fighting games do not take advantage of this kind of storytelling.
Casting Announcements
Mahershala Ali has been confirmed to play the title character of Blade, the half-vampire daywalker hunter. The Oscar-winning actor is best known for his roles in Green Book and Luke Cage, though he also has some superhero experience from voicing the villain Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes in Netflix’s Marvel tie-in series The Punisher and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Roger Craig Smith is back as the voice of Batman, with a different alias this time around (as revealed in a Q&A video). He’ll be joined by a number of familiar voices for the main cast, including John Blake and Alfred Pennyworth. The game’s story will be set between Arkham Origins and Arkham Asylum, with the Rat King becoming the main antagonist.
The game will also see the return of several characters from previous Arkham games, such as Otis Flannegan and Lyle Bolton, as well as the villains Harley Quinn and Scarecrow. Newer additions include Howard Branden, who works for TYGER in the game’s world and Carmine Falcone, who is making his proper debut after only being mentioned in previous entries.
The game will also see the first appearance of the character Ratcatcher. He’s revealed to be an acquaintance of the Joker who idolized him, though his identity is kept secret from Batman. The lore expansion in the January 2025 update, and an upcoming v1.4 patch, will reveal that he is actually the man who killed Shrike in Arkham Asylum.
Gameplay or Story Rumors
When it comes to a fantastic superhero video game series, few can rival the Arkham quadrilogy. These games are widely considered to be among the best of all time, even by fans who don’t like Batman: Arkham Knight. They’ve had a long break since the last game came out in 2015, but it looks as if Rocksteady Studios is working on a sequel.
In a recent interview, the voice actor for Commissioner Gordon on Arkham VR confirmed that a new game is in development. While UploadVR notes that this does not necessarily mean a new mainline Arkham game, it is still encouraging news to fans of the franchise.
The Batman himself also seems to have a connection to the Arkham franchise. In the recent film, he is shown wearing advanced lenses that allow him to record and scan people. This is a nod to the Arkham games, where Batman uses his heads-up display to track criminals and henchmen.
The film also features a Riddler who puts people in traps similar to the ones from the Arkham games. The gimmick is less impressive in the movie, but it is still a nod to the franchise. Robert Pattinson’s Bruce also utilizes combat grappling, a staple of the Arkham games that was introduced in Arkham Origins. This is more a maneuver than an actual weapon, but it allows him to take out multiple enemies at once and makes for an exciting action sequence.
Production Details
Mahershala Ali is still attached to the Blade reboot that was announced at Comic Con in 2019, and he’s been keeping fans updated on how things are progressing. The movie has had a troubled production, though, and has been shelved more than once. The latest setback came when the film lost director Yann Demange, who was reportedly frustrated by the delays and his inability to get the movie made.
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige is still committed to getting the movie made, but it appears like the studio isn’t willing to rush the project. Sources say that the studio has been pushing to make the film a period piece, but it’s not clear how far along the plan is. It would be a shame to lose all of the history that’s been built up for Eric Brooks’ vampire hunter character over the years, but hopefully the studio will settle on a modern-day setting.
Despite the sluggish development, the MCU is moving forward with other projects. In fact, the only thing that’s been keeping Blade in the scabbard is the long-delayed sequel to Avengers: Endgame. Fortunately, fans will have a new way to see Blade in the near future, as the Daywalker is already set to make his MCU debut in Marvel Zombies. The animated series will feature the voices of actors including David Harbour, Elizabeth Olsen, Dominique Thorne, and Awkwafina.