The announcement of a Blade reboot within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), featuring the incredibly talented Mahershala Ali in the titular role, took many fans by surprise during the San Diego Comic-Con event in July 2019. Now, as we approach the six-year mark since that exciting reveal, it is astonishing that there has not yet been a new Blade film. The most fans have experienced to date is Ali’s brief vocal cameo as the character at the end of the 2021 film Eternals, along with a glimpse of Blade in an animated format. Furthermore, the third season of Marvel’s animated series What If…? was concluded in December, available on the Disney+ streaming platform. In a standout montage during the finale, a creative vision showcased Ali’s Blade character reimagined in a scenario titled, “What if Blade were the Fist of Khonshu?” This intriguing concept asks viewers to consider, “What if Blade became Moon Knight?” Artist Justin Kim skillfully illustrated this concept art and has shared it on Instagram, which can be viewed in the embed at the end of this article.
This concept art serves not only as a creative exploration of Blade but also as a potential preview for the upcoming Marvel Zombies animated series, set to premiere on Disney+ on October 3rd. Interestingly, the Blade as Moon Knight character will appear in this series! Viewers can catch a glimpse of this character in the featured image below:
It’s truly remarkable that these animated depictions featuring Blade as Moon Knight, the earthly avatar for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu, are still the most substantial representation we’ve seen of Mahershala Ali as Blade, even after six years since the announcement that he would take on this iconic role. The anticipation for Ali’s portrayal has only grown, yet the wait continues, highlighting the current state of the MCU and its pacing in bringing such beloved characters to life on the screen.
The voice cast for the highly anticipated Marvel Zombies series is impressive, featuring a lineup that includes Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Awkwafina as Katy, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, and David Harbour as Red Guardian. Additionally, Florence Pugh will reprise her role as Yelena Belova, alongside Randall Park as the ever-popular FBI agent Jimmy Woo. Other notable voices will be provided by Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart, and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel. Todd Williams will voice an unspecified character, while fans can expect to see appearances from characters such as Ten Rings assassin Death Dealer, Ten Rings founder Xu Wenwu, and various zombie versions of familiar heroes and villains like Clint Barton / Hawkeye, Steve Rogers / Captain America, and Okoye from Wakanda’s Dora Milaje.
As of now, it’s uncertain whether Mahershala Ali has lent his voice to the character of Blade for the Marvel Zombies series. However, we do know that Ali’s likeness was used for the Moon Knight Blade design featured in the What If…? series, and fans can admire the concept art right here:
