Hobbs and Shaw filmmaker David Leitch is no stranger to action through both his directorial work and his years as a stunt performer and coordinator, but in 2018, he also left an imprint on the world of comic book adaptations through Deadpool 2. Now Leitch is eager to step back into that realm not just by helming Deadpool 3, but also because he’s interested in tackling the upcoming Blade reboot starring Mahershala Ali. Leitch said:
Mahershala is such a great actor, and I've been fortunate to work with some great actors, and I never go wrong that way. Having him play that role is a big deal and would be really exciting. So, yeah, I would love to have that conversation.
Marvel Studios announced a lot of news at its San Diego Comic-Con panel last month, but arguably the most surprising item was that Blade will be brought into the MCU. Rather than Marvel having already thought up the Blade reboot and then approaching Mahershala Ali to play the Daywalker, it turns out that Ali went to Marvel and pitched Blade to Kevin Feige and the rest of the brass there, and they were game for it.
Mahershala Ali is one of the most talented actors working in movies and television right now, with his accolades including two Academy Awards, one Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild (he’s also up for an Emmy this year for his work on True Detective Season 3). So it’s hardly surprising that David Leitch would like to work with someone of Ali’s caliber, especially on a property as beloved as Blade.
But David Leitch isn’t just interested in directing Blade because he wants to collaborate with Mahershala Ali. He also has history with the property, as he worked on the 1998 Blade movie. As Leitch said during his interview with ScreenRant:
I love Blade. And it's actually one of the first stunt jobs that I was in, the original Wesley Snipes one. I was a stunt performer in that movie. I was in the blood club. You remember that scene? Yes, dancing around in the recycled special effects blood. It was great.
Right now, David Leitch has two upcoming movies on the docket: Undying Love, based on the same-named Image Comics limited series, and The Division, based off the same-named video game that has Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain attached to star. Unless one or both of those movies end up being delayed, we can presume that Leitch will be busy enough for the next few years.
Fortunately, with Phase 4 all filled up, the Blade reboot isn’t expected to arrive until Phase 5, and even then we don’t know if Marvel will want to release it as early as 2022 or as late as 2025. Throw in the uncertainty over whether Deadpool 3 will even be made, and perhaps Marvel would be willing to at least talk with Leitch about shepherding Mahershala Ali’s version of Blade into the MCU, assuming his schedule is clear around the same time the reboot finally begins production.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news on Blade and David Leitch’s career. For now, keep up to date on what’s heading to theaters for the rest of the year with our 2019 release schedule.
