Full disclosure: That’s fan made, not official. Also, it’s not that I care about Blade, Marvel’s famed “daywalker” vampire hunter. All know about Blade comes from the Fox Kids Spider-Man cartoon. I don’t care about vampire stories in general, and I don’t need something to be rated “R” for me to think it’s good, including (and usually especially) superhero stories. I saw vampires on Saturday morning as far back as the 1970s who were still better than Twilight’s alterations because they were still a threat, though sometimes just to villains. Drak Pack is actually one of a few examples of crimefighting vampires. Exceptions exist like Count Von Count from Sesame Street, or Dingbat from Dingbat & The Creeps but one is teaching kids numbers and the other is a wacky comedy. Point is, I have no horse in this race, but this is something that’s odd to me and I would like to see if anyone can explain it.
See, I’m one of the voices that wanted T’Challa to be recast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the unfortunate passing of Chadwick Boseman, and I wonder if he would have taken on the role, knowing what we all know now between his health and the reactions at Marvel Studios to let the character die and replace him with his sister in violation of lore they couldn’t care less about because it came from a dirty comic book, that media for losers that they’re “improving” by making it all for and about them and screw you, geeks. The important people are taking your stuff because popularity is for them alone. Hollywood is so much like high school…but I’m getting off track.
The point is I’ve seen some of the same voices that were part of #RecastT’Challa on social media insisting that one way to get the ever-delayed MCU version of Blade out there to a happy audience is to forget Mahershala Ali, the actor who has seen his role trapped in development hell and bring back Wesley Snipes, who does enjoy the role and is currently between tax violations. Fans loved the Blade movies and I can understand that. What I can’t understand is the same people against replacing him are some of the same people willing to replace another Marvel hero.
