# Hollywood

Last big Marvel Comic Con announcement, Mahershala Ali to star in ‘Blade’ series

Blade was one of the big announcements made at the festival after the full cast of The Eternals, Shang-Chi lead and Natalie Portman’s return to the Thor franchise was announced.

SNS | New Delhi | July 21, 2019 3:26 pm

Last big Marvel Comic Con announcement, Mahershala Ali to star in ‘Blade’ series

Marvel is rebooting the Blade series with Mahershala Ali as the lead star. Studios chief Kevin Feige announced the news at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday as the Marvel’s 90 minute presentation’s big ending surprise.

Ali also came on stage at the announcement that drew a massive applause, donning a Blade baseball cap. Earlier, Wesley Snipes had played the half-vampire superhero in 1998’s Blade and its two sequels Blade II and Blade: Trinity. The series focuses on the titular vigilante, a human who possesses vampire strengths and protects humans from vampires.

Oscar Winner Mahershala Ali won his second Academy after Moonlight( 2016) for Green Book. Most recently, he impressed audiences with his work in HBO’s drama series True Detective‘s third season and Alita: Battle Angel.

Last year, Ali also voiced the Prowler in the animated hit Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse and also played the villain Cornell ‘ Cotttonmouth’ Stokes in the first season of Netflix/Marvel’s series Luke Cage.

Blade was one of the big announcements made at the festival after the full cast of The Eternals, Shang-Chi lead and Natalie Portman’s return to the Thor franchise was announced.