Kevin Feige on Casting Mahershala Ali in 'Blade': 'It's a Dream'

Marvel's president Kevin Feige says the decision to cast Ali was a no-brainer.

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

Marvel shocked the world when it announced that Mahershala Ali will revive the cult-classic superhero, Blade. While this may have surprised fans, Marvel's president Kevin Feige claims the decision to cast Ali as the vampire hunter was a no-brainer.

During an interview with Variety following the announcement, Feige explained why Ali is a perfect fit for the role.

"He's the perfect Blade because he's one of the greatest actors working today," Feige said of the two-time Oscar winner. "He's a huge fan of our universe and of the character and he's going to destroy the part." Feige added that it only took a few conversations with Ali for the studio to feel comfortable casting him as Blade. 

"It's a dream," Feige said. "It's the kind of dream casting you almost don't dare to dream that you could actually do it. But, we had a couple of meetings with him and decided very quickly 'let's do this.'" He also revealed that it was Ali who approached Marvel about the part, after he won his Oscar for Green Book.  "When Mahershala calls, you answer," Feige told The Hollywood Reporter.

The news that Ali would play Blade was announced during Marvel's Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday. During the panel, Feige revealed the direction the MCU will be heading in for Phase 4. Details on upcoming films like The Eternals starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kumail Nanjiani, as well as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings were unveiled.

Latest in Pop Culture