Marvel’s Blade Movie Removing A Major Character

A rumoured update on Marvel’s developing Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali states that production has removed a significant character. A lot of fans have been rooting for their favourite comic book characters to turn up in the MCU, and they have been scouring all the pop culture sites for any updates.

Well, we have an update to share with you that might upset you slightly if you’re a fan of the Marvel Comics character, Black Knight. We’ve been really looking forward to watching the upcoming Blade movie, and there was one pretty major Marvel character that was set to star in the movie – Kit Harington’s Black Night.

Ever since the franchise started in 1998, starring Wesley Snipes, Marvel has begun to carve its name on superhero movies. One movie led to another, and it made it possible for the studio to produce Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The rest, as everyone knows, is history.

Bringing Blade back to the big screen is a tribute to the character that made whatever Marvel Studios is now possible. They have to have the right story, and the right delivery and film lead star Mahershala Ali knows this as well.

The movie has been in development for the longest time, and it seems Marvel Studios hasn’t gotten everything in the bag, until recently. What appears now is that Ali is reportedly happy with how things are progressing with the production. However, to get to this point, they had to relinquish the use of a character and a storyline that he has started in Eternals for the upcoming movie.

Marvel’s Blade Movie Won’t Pick Up From Eternals

According to The Hot Mic with Jeff Sneider and John Rocha, the Blade movie in production has peeled off a few more pages from its story. By doing so, they were able to develop a more favourable arc for the Daywalker. However, the story that they had to give up included Kit Harington’s Black Knight. In the podcast, Sneider said:

Someone reached out to post that Blade that the production has gotten a little bit better. That things have shaped up with the script. Although they said that the script is leaner and meaner. And they cut out the fat.

He also mentioned that prior to the leaner and meaner script, he had the impression that it was already quite ‘thin’. Specifically, he shared:

But I thought that the script that I heard about was like 87 pages. There wasn’t enough. It was basically… shaven it to the bone.

Although this does not necessarily mean that the script is now less than 87 pages, in fact, there may be some aspects of the story that they have let go of, but it means there were certain aspects that they may have expounded further. As for the part that production has left out, he said:

I guess, what they cut out I’d heard was that Blade was gonna like the tie-in to eternals. Kit Harington’s Black Knight was cut out. …Black Knight is not really involved in the Blade thing anymore.

The connection he described roots in the end credit scene from the 2021 Eternals movie—the scene where Harington’s Dane Whitman attempted to touch the Ebony Blade. A split second before he did, Mahershala Ali’s Blade character is overheard asking if Whitman was sure that he was ready for the sword.

At the beginning of the production, people assumed that Harington would be part of the upcoming Blade movie. The scene practically teased the two characters teaming up for a project.

But as productions in development go, sometimes directions, as well as stories, change. There may be certain things that gave rise to the need to focus on Blade first before touching another dark superhero arc in the same movie. The current impression this gives off is that the film in development is fully delving into the lore of Blade and his origins for the MCU.

This aligns with the next update that Sneider disclosed:

And they may be recasting a few parts including maybe the daughter? was there a 14-year-old girl? They may recast that.

While Sneider shared no other information as to the reason for the recast or who else will be included in the new storyline, it seemed clear that the movie is meant to focus on Blade’s journey first and foremost.

Marvel’s Blade Starring Mahershala Ali Won’t Include Kit Harington

Marvel’s Blade Movie Removing A Major Character

Credit: Marvel Studios

While the update certainly will disappoint the fans of Black Knight as well as Kit Harington, I could understand why this was left out of the screenplay. People have yet to see Mahershala Ali as Blade. The world needs to see his portrayal as a fitting successor to Snipes’ performance. If there were another main character in his first movie, the focus would be diluted, and it could be a missed opportunity for the studio.

Leaving Black Knight and the Eternals angle in the upcoming movie doesn’t mean that they will discontinue that specific storyline altogether. That can still follow in another project. The caveat being the upcoming Blade film’s blockbuster performance that can merit a sequel. If not, then at least a Disney Plus special can address that part of Blade and Black Knight’s story.

What do you of this Blade development where they might have just removed Kit Harington’s Black Knight in the story? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages! And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcast, The Small Screen Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts!