Marvel always seems to have a knack for giving fans exactly what they want. After the upcoming Blade reboot was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, social media was full of people asking the studio to consider hiring a black director for the project. It appears that those in charge are listening, too, as according to our sources, Marvel is actively searching for a black filmmaker to helm the highly-anticipated flick.
Their lofty wishlist currently includes some of the biggest names in the industry. Academy Award-winner Spike Lee is reportedly their number one choice as of right now, though they’re also considering Lee Daniels, Steve McQueen and Nia DaCosta. Any of these accomplished directors would be fantastic, especially since they’ll be paired with two-time Oscar recipient Mahershala Ali.
This is just the latest move in Marvel’s increased push for diversity both onscreen and behind the scenes. They’re probably hoping that the dynamic duo of an accomplished black superstar in the titular role and another iconic black director behind the camera will help the film do gangbusters at the box office. It’s certainly a strategy that worked for Black Panther.
While Marvel clearly listened to what fans were saying in this particular instance, it remains to be seen if they continue letting the viewers get what they want in regards to this movie. Plenty of people have asked for the studio to bring the franchise’s original star Wesley Snipes back in at least a small role, which executives are reportedly considering. Those at the top didn’t want the actor to reprise his part as Eric Brooks due to his troubled past, but they could still fit him in somewhere if they really want to keep fans of the original series happy.
Given the massive success of Marvel, directors should be falling all over themselves to helm one of these projects. It’s nice to hear that the studio is doing the right thing by purposefully looking for a black filmmaker to spearhead the story though and hopefully they pick someone soon so production on Blade can start shortly.
