Last night’s presentation by Marvel Studios in SDCC’s Hall H will go down as the studio’s best in Comic-Con history, partially because of the bombshell no one was expecting to be revealed at the tail-end of the panel: a Blade reboot starring 2-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali. Equally as surprising is the film’s absence in the 10-film slate presented by Kevin Feige, prompting some fans, including us, to wonder how it fits within Phase 4. Turns out, Blade will not be a part of Phase 4, as Feige gave a resounding “No” when asked by Collider about it.
Is it Phase 5 then?
At this junction, it seems like it. The circumstances of the Blade reboot coming together is different from the rest of the Phase 4 films. While the 10-films have been meticulously planned for years now, the Blade comes at the behest of Ali who, according to Feige, called for a meeting Marvel Studios right after his second Oscar win this year. Blade was the dream project Ali brought up and as Feige puts it, “When Mahershala calls, you answer. They’re the same answer: Blade now because of Mahershala, and Mahershala because he loves Blade.”
Source: Collider