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Black Widow has finally arrived, and it would seem that the latest installment in Marvel’s cinematic franchise is having a strong opening weekend. Aside from heading towards some impressive box office numbers, most fans and critics seem to have enjoyed the long-awaited solo outing for Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. But not everyone has been so impressed, including Blade alum Stephen Dorff. The True Detective actor recently shared some very blunt thoughts on the movie and, now, he’s opening up about Mahershala Ali’s Blade reboot.
In 1998’s Blade, Stephen Dorff played Deacon Frost, the primary antagonist to Wesley Snipes’ Daywalker. The superhero film may have debuted decades ago, but it still holds a firm place in fans’ hearts and is regarded as a turning point for the superhero genre. So Stephen Dorff is a part of film history and, when asked to share thoughts on the upcoming reboot, he discussed what he thinks made that original film unique:
I have no idea what’s going on with that movie, and don’t think they’ve even hired a director yet. What I will say is what made Blade so special was the director, Stephen Norrington, and I don’t think either of the sequels were as effective – they didn’t have what he brought to the material. The film felt ahead of its time in a major way, I think that and The Matrix set the bar for the type of comic book movies we see today. What those movies had that a lot of modern comic book movies miss is a clear directorial vision: Blade is a one note character by design, he shows up, looks cool and kicks ass.
Stephen Dorff is well aware of Blade’s legacy, specifically how it affected the superhero genre. The actor doesn’t seem to scoff at the idea of revamping the property, but he does suggest the producers find a capable director with a distinct vision. That filmmaker will certainly have a talented star in Mahershala Ali and, during his interview with Zavvi, Dorff had nothing but praise for his True Detective co-star:
Mahershala will be incredible doing that, but you need strong writing and direction to help elevate that character, and I don’t know what Marvel’s vision is for Blade. I just know that Mahershala is a hell of an actor, and that he’ll be great in the role.
Many seem excited to see the two-time Oscar winner take on the role of Marvel’s resident vampire hunter, and Stephen Dorff isn’t the only actor to sing Mahershala Ali’s praises. OG Blade Wesley Snipes has been asked about Ali’s movie numerous times, and he’s had nothing but kind words for his superhero successor.
As of right now, Blade is still in development but is taking solid steps in the process. Earlier this year, Marvel Studios tapped a writer in the form of Watchmen scribe Stacy Osei-Kuffour, who is now the first Black woman to ever write a Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Production on the PG-13 movie is reportedly set to commence sometime in 2022. So it’s going to take a little while for the movie to arrive but, hopefully, it’ll be worth the wait.
And in the meantime, you can stream Blade on HBO Max, which you can sign up for using this link.
