Van Helsing Will Reportedly Feature In Blade, Jason Statham Eyed

Van Helsing is an instantly recognizable name in horror mythology. The character is a key part of Dracula lore that’s usually depicted as an aged vampire hunter and esteemed veterans like Peter Cushing, Laurence Olivier, Anthony Hopkins and Christopher Plummer have all played the role on the big screen over the years.

However, there have been attempts to reinvent the good doctor as a younger and more action-orientated type of hero before, most notably in Stephen Sommers’ messy 2004 blockbuster Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman. Not only that, but the family tree has also featured in comic books for decades, with Abraham’s granddaughter Rachel first appearing a year before Blade made his Marvel debut in 1973 and the two going on to become regular allies.

With the Daywalker set to be rebooted as part of the MCU and Mahershala Ali inheriting the mantle from Wesley Snipes, there’s every chance the movie will be diving deep into Blade’s back catalogue to populate the supporting cast. And while we don’t know too much about who else might be showing up just yet, we’re now hearing that the studio are interested in having Jason Statham ride into battle as Van Helsing.

According to our intel – which comes from the same sources that told us a Justice League Dark show was coming to HBO Max and Netflix is developing an Extraction sequel, both of which were correct – Statham was initially said to be interested in playing Daredevil, but he’s now 53 years old and the studio want someone much younger to play Matt Murdock if Charlie Cox doesn’t return. As such, they’ve floated the idea of him joining Blade instead as Van Helsing.

The original Blade trilogy was heavy on martial arts action, and Statham definitely fits that particular bill. That being said, it remains to be seen if he’d want to take a supporting role in the MCU when his stock is at an all-time high following the success of The Meg and his continued involvement in the Fast and Furious franchise. Either way, it seems Van Helsing will definitely appear in the film and that in and of itself is very exciting news.