The Marvel Cinematic Universe may have suffered a setback when the entire Phase Four slate was pushed back by several months in response to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean that Kevin Feige and his team have simply downed tools, with the brains behind the shared universe no doubt working feverishly behind the scenes to plan what happens next.
Phase Five is already beginning to take shape, with Captain Marvel 2 now officially joining Black Panther II in having a confirmed release date, and the third installments in both the Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy franchise expected to join them. One of the newcomers making their way to the MCU though is Mahershala Ali’s Blade, and while it hasn’t been confirmed just yet, Phase Five seems like the most likely destination for the rebooted Daywalker to make his return.
Besides Ali himself, nobody else is attached to the project as of yet, although with the movie reported to be in theaters by 2024 at the very latest, business will need to start picking up soon. As well as a director, writer and entire crew, the cast of supporting characters will also need to be filled out, and we’ve now heard that Marvel have their eyes on a former DC alumni to play the role of Blade’s friend and mentor Abraham Whistler.
According to our sources – the same ones who told us She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel shows were coming to Disney Plus long before they were announced – the studio are said to be eyeing Michael Caine for the role of Whistler. While the kind, jovial Caine would certainly mark a departure from Kris Kristofferson’s southern-fried and booze-soaked take on the character, the wise old mentor is the kind of thing the English acting legend can do in his sleep, and he’s already done countless times before, most notably in the Dark Knight Trilogy.
That being said, Whistler needs to feel like someone who can act as a vampire hunter, friend, mentor, father figure and partner in crime to Blade all at once, and if you’re talking about pitch-perfect casting for the role, then my suggestion is that Marvel may as well pick up the phone and give Sam Elliott a call. Alternatively, we’ve also heard that Ed Harris is another option if Caine doesn’t work out. Either way, though, it seems like casting is heating up now and hopefully we’ll get some official announcements soon.
