Marvel’s Blade reboot will reunite the true detective with Mahershala Ali

Marvel’s Blade has added another writer to its staff.

Nic Pizzolatto, known for his work as the creator of True Detective, has joined the upcoming MCU movie as a writer, according to Hollywood Reporter. The addition brings together Pizzolato and Blade star Mahershala Ali, as they worked together on the third season of HBO’s acclaimed crime anthology series.

IGN has reached out to representatives for Disney and Pizzolatto for comment.

Pizzolatto will be working on a script by Michael Starbury, who previously earned an Emmy nomination for his work on an episode of When They See Us. Pizzolatto has reportedly been working on the Blade script for a few weeks now.

Blade, directed by Lovecraft Country’s Yann Demange, has gone through some hiccups so far in the pre-production process. Starrbury and Demange joined the project after Bassam Tariq abruptly left the film in September 2022 due to creative differences. The move prompted Marvel to take a pause on Blade, with several release dates changed as a result. Now, THR says that Blade is looking to go into production in late May in Atlanta, and it’s currently still slated for a September 6, 2024 release.

Besides Ali, the Marvel incarnation of Blade will also feature rising scream queen Mia Goth, whose performances in Ti West’s horror films Pearl and X have been widely acclaimed. Delroy Lindo is also in the cast.

Blade will officially introduce Marvel’s most skilled vampire hunter to the MCU. Blade is a half-mortal, half-immortal being who fiercely hunts vampires in order to avenge his mother, who was killed by a vampire during his birth. He played superhero Wesley Snipes in New Line Cinema’s original Blade trilogy, which was generally well-liked by fans despite a lukewarm critical reception.

All three of Snipes’ movies are rated R, making her the first Blade Marvel hero. Of course, this movie wasn’t part of the MCU, but hopes are high that the new movie can match the tone of the original Courage trilogy. Fortunately, with Demange in the director’s chair, the movie is said to be darker than your typical MCU movie.

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton.