Wesley Snipes isn’t the only name fans want to see attached to the upcoming Blade reboot. Many people are also calling for Marvel to recruit Academy Award winner Jordan Peele to helm the production. The acclaimed director’s meteoric rise stems from his two terrifying flicks Get Out and Us, both of which exceeded expectations on a massive scale at the box office. Given the filmmaker’s penchant for scary stories that revolve around black people, Blade seems like it would be right up his alley.
Rolling Stone, however, has been quick to debunk that theory. In an old interview they did with Peele, the publication focused on a particular response that seemingly negates any speculation that he would take on the job if asked:
“So many of those properties — it’s a childhood dream to be able to essentially see what you saw in your imagination as a child, watching or reading or whatever you were doing with that stuff. It’s a filmmaker’s dream. But you know, I feel like I only have so much time. I have a lot of stories to tell, and it just doesn’t feel right. It just doesn’t feel right. I’m a comic book and graphic novel appreciator, but I can’t call myself a true fan boy.”
If this answer had been given years ago, it’s possible that Peele could’ve changed his tune. Unfortunately, the interview was done in December. Unless he’s completely done an about-face since then, it appears unlikely that he’ll be attached to the project.
Then again, few would’ve guessed that two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali would want to take on the titular role of the remake. The beloved filmmaker might reconsider his stance now that the superstar is onboard. Fans should still keep their fingers crossed because anything can happen, especially if Ali picks up the phone.
Meanwhile, Peele will be plenty busy with other forthcoming projects. The follow-up to Candyman is set to begin filming this August, while his TV shows The Hunt and Lovecraft Country are scheduled to come out some time in the near future.
Though it’s definitely a letdown that Peele probably won’t take on the highly-anticipated flick, there are plenty of other phenomenal directors out there who can do a great job with Blade and no doubt Marvel already have their eye on a few of them.