Marvel's Blade Reboot Adds Aaron Pierre Alongside Star Mahershala Ali
Many stars in Hollywood have successfully jumped from DC to Marvel movies, and vice versa. Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds, David Dastmalchian, and Halle Berry are just a few names on that ever-growing list. Chris Evans has even jumped back and forth multiple times with increasing degrees of success thanks to "Fantastic Four," "The Losers," and "Captain America: The First Avenger."
Now, it looks like "Krypton" star Aaron Pierre wants to be the latest addition to that elite group of talent, as the actor has joined the cast of Marvel's "Blade" reboot, which stars Mahershala Ali.
Things that go bump in the night
According to Deadline, Pierre has joined the cast of "Blade." Directed by Bassam Tariq from a script written by Stacy Osei-Kuffour, the upcoming MCU Phase Four film stars Mahershala Ali as the legendary vampire hunter made famous by Wesley Snipes in the early 2000s. Ali previously appeared in the MCU by way of a vocal cameo in "Eternals" when Kit Harington's Dane Whitman nearly picked up the Ebony Blade during the movie's post-credits scene.
Previously, Pierre starred in "The Underground Railroad" on Amazon Prime, M. Night Shyamalan's "Old," and SyFy's Superman prequel "Krypton." He's also in line to voice Mufasa in the upcoming "Lion King" prequel from Barry Jenkins. But when it comes to "Blade," the details regarding his role are very secretive. The report says that it has been "one of the more highly coveted parts in Hollywood" since Tariq boarded the project. Producer Kevin Feige and the whole team behind the Daywalker's physical MCU debut met with dozens of up-and-coming actors about this character. However, Pierre emerged as the favorite within the last few weeks.
In addition to Ali, Pierre joins veteran actor Delroy Lindo as part of the cast. Lindo's role is also undisclosed for the moment, but with shooting supposedly starting this summer, I'd assume that more details are coming very soon. However, despite having absolutely no evidence supporting these claims, I have a few ideas about their roles. There's a chance that Lindo could be playing Deacon Frost, the vampire responsible for the death of Blade's mother. As for Pierre, he could be Hannibal King, a private detective that was turned into a vampire, but refuses to partake in the curses that accompany the affliction. "Deadpool" and "Green Lantern" star Ryan Reynolds previously played King and Stephen Dorff portrayed Frost in the Snipes version of the story. Whether I'm proven right or wrong, we'll be sure to update you as soon as details become available.