MCU Blade Star Delroy Lindo Explains His Role In The Beleaguered Movie

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Summary

  • Marvel Studios planned to reboot Blade with Mahershala Ali playing the titular character.
  • Delroy Lindo‘s role in the project was not disclosed, but he said he was to play an “exciting” character.
  • Lindo teased an “exciting” concept for his character that included a “Marcus Garvey-esque component.”

Marvel Studios is set to revive the character of Blade, with one actor involved in the project hinting at an intriguing part they will play, amid whispers that the project may have been secretly scrapped.

The President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, unveiled plans for a fresh Blade movie at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, with Mahershala Ali taking on the main role. Actors Delroy Lindo, Aaron Pierre, and Mia Goth were also part of the project initially. However, the production has experienced several alterations, including a change in directors. Bassam Tariq was originally set to direct, but Yann Demange took over. Yet, Demange too left the project in June 2024. There are whispers that Blade may have been secretly shelved after its removal from Marvel Studios’ 2025 release schedule. While Marvel has not confirmed if the project is canceled, one of the cast members hinted at it “going off the rails.

In November 2021, it was announced that Lindo had been cast for the movie Blade, although his specific role wasn’t revealed at the time. In a recent chat with Entertainment Weekly, he shared how Marvel approached him for the part. As per Lindo, they showed great interest in his ideas and he even had meetings with producers, writers, and directors to discuss his character. He mentioned that these discussions were “very inclusive,” indicating a collaborative approach. He was delighted to join the project and hinted at an “exciting” concept, but later admitted that it faced some setbacks. His exact words were:

The idea was truly thrilling, and it held an additional layer of excitement due to the character development. However, for some unknown reason, it veered wildly away from its original course.

In the movie “Blade,” Lindo’s character didn’t fully show his personality. Yet, he hinted at a resemblance to Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican political activist known for founding the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), which focused on Black nationalism and preserving African heritage. Lindo further mentioned that his character embodied similar philosophies and values as Garvey since he was depicted as leading and nurturing a Black community.

It’s not shocking that Lindo is maintaining secrecy about his role since this is often how things are handled in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). MCU actors frequently decline to reveal their next project or keep their roles confidential until the studio makes an official announcement. For example, just a fortnight before Marvel announced the cast for Avengers: Doomsday, Paul Rudd was asked about his involvement in the Russo brothers’ upcoming Avengers films. He acknowledged that they had his number without disclosing whether he was part of the cast or not. His co-star Jenna Ortega from Death of a Unicorn admired how Rudd handled the question, humorously commenting that Marvel actors are skilled at dealing with such queries. Not long after, Rudd’s name appeared among those announced as part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast by Marvel.

In terms of who Delroy Lindo might play in the upcoming Blade film, there’s a strong possibility he could embody Jamal Afari, a Black jazz musician and vampire hunter who served as Blade’s mentor when he was a child. This character played a significant role in shaping Blade’s skills and perspective. Delroy Lindo seems well-suited to portray this mentorship role due to his age, presence, and gravitas. However, it should be noted that Jamal Afari wasn’t a leader of a Black community. Marvel could potentially introduce such an aspect for the reboot, or they might create a new character specifically for Lindo in the film. This isn’t unprecedented as Marvel has introduced several characters not directly from the comics before, like Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis and Zendaya’s Michelle Jones-Watson. The Blade project hasn’t been officially canceled, but there’s no announced release date following its removal from the 2025 calendar. Instead, Marvel may create a new character for Lindo, one that embodies the “Garvey-esque” component.

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2025-04-18 20:24