Per THR, “The studio has spent the last six months meeting with writers in what was described as a meticulous search, with Ali directly involved. Only Black writers were seriously considered, a reflection of Marvel’s focus on diversity and making representation a key factor — especially when tackling nonwhite characters.”

Ali, a two-time Oscar winner for both “Moonlight” and “Green Book,” is attached to star as the Marvel hero previously played by Wesley Snipes in the Marvel Comics franchise in films released in 1998, 2002, and 2004. White writer David Goyer, a frequent Marvel and DC scribe, wrote the original movies released by New Line. Initial plans for “Blade, the Vampire Slayer” were revealed at 2019’s Comic-Con in San Diego. Related Robert Downey Jr. Responds to Quentin Tarantino’s Marvel Dig: ‘There’s Enough Room for Everything’ Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw Is Bringing a Visual Subtlety to the Marvel Cinematic Universe Related Oscars 2023: Can Anyone Top ‘Maverick’ in Best Sound? Oscars 2023: Best Documentary Feature Predictions
This makes Osei-Kuffour Marvel’s first Black female writer on a feature. Nia DaCosta, set for the upcoming “Captain Marvel 2,” will mark the studio’s first Black woman director. Osei-Kuffour additionally has a Writers Guild of America Award for her work on “Watchmen,” also adapted from a comic. Human-vampire hybrid Blade first appeared as a supporting character in the “Tomb of Dracula” comic in 1973 before going on to become a cult favorite. Plot details and a director for the upcoming film remain unknown, but it’s intended to relaunch the character back into the ever-evolving Marvel Cinematic Universe. This won’t mark Mahershala Ali’s first dip into the Marvel world, as he previously starred in “Marvel’s Luke Cage” on Netflix as Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes, though that series was canceled in 2018 after two seasons. Ali also lent his voice to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” the Academy Award-winning animated favorite. Ali was most recently seen in the Hulu comedy series “Ramy,” as well as on HBO’s third season of “True Detective.” Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.