Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali has made it clear that he's done with Marvel's long-gestating Blade reboot, and he's even found a silver lining in the project's demise. While promoting his latest film at the Toronto International Film Festival, Ali revealed that Marvel's involvement—however unintentional—helped bring his new movie to life.
In an interview with Deadline, Ali said he's "over" Blade, a project he was attached to for years. He was first announced as the vampire hunter at San Diego Comic-Con by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who recently called the cancellation one of his biggest regrets. Ali, however, has a different take. In a GQ profile, he stated, "I have moved on. I'm good. You had me under contract. If they wanted to do the movie, we would have done the movie. So we're not doing the movie. They didn't want to do it, so they should answer that question."
At TIFF, Ali elaborated on his gratitude, saying, "I'm really grateful. Like, they helped pay for our movie, so thank you. Like really, like we couldn't have afforded to; there's no way we could have did this film, and I got to go train for a year. So at this point, I'm so grateful that they made a wonderful contribution to our film."
That film is Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, an action thriller directed by Bassam Tariq, who was originally attached to direct Blade. The two met during the Blade development, and their collaboration on this new project was born out of that connection. Ali's year-long training for the superhero role also came in handy for the physically demanding part he plays in the movie.
In Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, Ali stars as a devout hitman who embarks on a vengeful mission while caring for his infant. The film has received excellent reviews following its TIFF premiere and is set for a theatrical release in North America via Amazon MGM later this month. Early buzz has been so strong that it's already earning a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
This isn't the first time Marvel's discarded assets have benefited another project. Costumes created for Ali's Blade were repurposed for Ryan Coogler's Oscar-winning hit Sinners. Now, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother becomes the second film to indirectly profit from Marvel and Disney's leftovers.
Ali's comments highlight a growing trend of actors finding creative silver linings after high-profile projects fall apart. While fans may lament the loss of a Blade movie, Ali's new work is already generating awards-season whispers. For more on Ali's career and upcoming projects, check out our review of the film.
As for Marvel, the studio continues to move forward with other projects, including a new take on the Hulk and Black Cat joining the X-Men in comics. But for Ali, the future is clear: he's left the world of superheroes behind for more grounded, character-driven stories.
