Blade (Marvelette film)

Blade is a Marvelette Cinematic Universe Phase Five film. It was released on October 28th, 2022, following Captain Marvel: Galactic Storm and preceding Ant-Man and the Wasp and the Ant-Man. The film is directed by Jordan Peele.

Cast

 * Mahershala Ali as Eric Brooks / Blade
 * Jared Leto as Michael Morbius (First Appearance)
 * Viola Davis as Tara Brooks (First Appearance) (Death)
 * Morgan Freeman as Jamal Afari (First Appearance) (Death)
 * Hugh Grant as Vlad Dracula (First Appearance)
 * Eric Roberts as Cyrus Cutter (First Appearance) (Death)
 * Emma Stone as Rachel van Helsing (First Appearance)
 * Tim Curry as Mephistopheles
 * Malcolm McDowell as Deacon Frost (First Appearance) (Death)
 * Emmy Rossum as Lilith Drake (First Appearance)
 * Ellen Page as Dakota North (First Appearance)
 * David Thewlis as John Falsworth (First Appearance)
 * Domhnall Gleeson as Kenneth Crichton (First Appearance) (Death)

Crew

 * Jordan Peele: Writer, Director
 * Mahershala Ali: Writer, Producer
 * Kid Marvelette: Executive Producer
 * Kevin Feige: Executive Producer
 * Trinh Tran: Producer
 * Victoria Alonso: Producer
 * Thom Yorke: Composer

Plot
Following the death of his mother, Eric Brooks becomes the Vampire Hunter known as Blade, and finds himself teaming up with the proto-vampire Morbius, as well as a woman named Rachel van Helsing, who has been hunting vampires her entire life. However, their crusade will eventually lead them to uncovering the truth surrounding the legend of Dracula...

Trivia

 * Blade is the first film in the MCU to be Rated R.
 * Mahershala Ali has previously appeared in the MCU as Cottonmouth in Luke Cage. However, he approached Kevin Feige about playing Blade.
 * Blade is the second solon hero to previously have his own franchise before being adapted into the MCU, the first being Spider-Man.
 * Emma Stone, who portrays Rachel van Helsing, previously played Gwen Stacy in the short-lived Amazing Spider-Man series.
 * Ellen Page, who portrays Dakota North, previously played Kitty Pryde in Fox's X-Men series. Pryde would eventually be introduced into the MCU played by Jodelle Ferland.
 * Jared Leto appears as Morbius after previously playing him in Sony's solo Morbius film, however the two characters are not the same version. After Morbius was a critical failure, Marvel struck another deal with Sony to gain the rights to use him in the Blade franchise, and Jared Leto agreed to reprise the role.