Blade’s New MCU Upgrade Looks Even Better Than The Bloody First Looks

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Marvel’s upcoming animated series, Marvel Zombies, will feature Blade as Moon Knight, and new artwork offers a glimpse of what he might look like as the live-action version of the character. While Mahershala Ali was cast as Blade (Eric Brooks) in 2019, he’s only had a quick voice role in Eternals so far. With Blade appearing in Marvel Zombies, which premieres on Disney+ on September 24, 2025, fans are anticipating his full live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Although Mahershala Ali won’t be providing the voice for Blade in the *Marvel Zombies* series, the character will still look like him. We first saw this version of Blade, originally appearing in *What If…?* season 3, and recent artwork shared on Instagram by @arifinity_ gives us a good idea of how he might look in a live-action film. The art suggests this version of Blade would be a fantastic addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, potentially giving the character new abilities and highlighting his strength.

When Will Blade Debut in the Live-Action MCU?

When Mahershala Ali was cast as Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the plan was for him to star in a new, standalone Blade movie. However, the film’s production has faced many challenges over the past six years. There have been several changes in writers, actors, and directors – Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange were both involved at different times, but ultimately left the project. Marvel removed the movie from its 2024 release schedule, though work on it is still ongoing.

Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel, has indicated that the Blade reboot is progressing well. Michael Green and Eric Pearson are currently writing the script, and Mahershala Ali is still set to star. While a release date hasn’t been announced, it will probably come after Avengers: Secret Wars, which will kick off the next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The upcoming animated series Marvel Zombies may also influence the direction of Blade, as it will feature a version of the character designed by the same artist who briefly introduced him at the end of season 3 of What If…?

Todd Williams, known for his work on *San Andreas* and *The Chicago Code*, will voice the character of Blade in the upcoming *Marvel Zombies* series. Fans are still hoping to see Mahershala Ali reprise the role after first voicing Blade in *Eternals*. It’s currently unknown if Ali’s Blade will appear in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe, potentially as a version similar to Moon Knight – either working with or following Oscar Isaac’s character. However, *Marvel Zombies* will at least give audiences a version of Blade that looks like Ali, building anticipation for his eventual live-action debut in the MCU.

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2025-09-20 17:18