During a recent Vogue interview for its Off the Cuff video series, Mahershala Ali deftly sidestepped direct questions about his Marvel movie appearances, steering the conversation to his co-star Scarlett Johansson instead. This lighthearted exchange occurred as Ali, joined by Jonathan Bailey and Johansson, promoted Jurassic World Rebirth while the ongoing speculation around Ali’s involvement with the MCU, especially Blade, loomed over the discussion.
Ali’s Tactful Evading of MCU Inquiries
As the trio fielded questions about their Marvel Cinematic Universe roles, Jonathan Bailey was challenged to name every MCU film that Ali and Johansson had acted in. Almost immediately, Ali took himself out of the running, saying,
Leave me out of it,
and then added,
That’s just a Scarlett question.
The group laughed at the dodge, with Bailey quipping,
Well, there’s one that we’re very excited about,
alluding to ongoing anticipation for Ali’s starring turn in Blade. This exchange came amid heightened scrutiny, as Ali’s role in the franchise has attracted considerable attention.
Years of Waiting: Blade’s Delay and Ali’s Limited MCU Credits
The playful avoidance highlighted a lingering topic for Ali. At San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige announced that Mahershala Ali would be headlining a new Blade film. More than half a decade later, Blade has faced repeated setbacks, including changes in directors and writers, leaving its release date uncertain and Ali’s official MCU debut limited. At present, Ali’s only MCU film appearance is a brief vocal cameo in the post-credits of 2021’s Eternals, where his voice teases a potential meeting between Blade and Dane Whitman, portrayed by Kit Harington. However, any substantial on-screen encounter seems unlikely soon.
This fleeting cameo means Ali’s Blade holds as many MCU appearances as Wesley Snipes’ iconic version, though Snipes makes a bigger splash in Deadpool & Wolverine than Ali did in Eternals. The ongoing delays have only added to the public’s curiosity during press events like this Vogue interview.
Further Roles and Tongue-in-Cheek Banter
Though Vogue’s questions focused on his MCU presence, Mahershala Ali has portrayed memorable characters beyond this universe. He performed as Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes in Netflix’s Luke Cage and voiced Aaron Davis, also known as The Prowler, in the Spider-Verse films outside the official MCU. Still, the relentless Marvel-related prodding seemed pointed, especially as Scarlett Johansson joined in with more playful teasing. After listing her own movies, she turned to Ali and asked,
And you, Mahershala? What about you?
Rather than respond, Ali opted for silence, letting the moment play out amid shared laughter.
Scarlett Johansson’s Marvel Film Legacy Stumps Co-Stars
As a founding Avenger, Scarlett Johansson boasts an extensive MCU filmography, but even Ali and Bailey found it challenging to recall her full roster. Trying to help, Ali offered,
‘Black Widow’ and the ‘Avengers’ stuff,
which Johansson dismissed, insisting,
You can’t say it like that. You have to name every single one by name.
Bailey attempted to guess with titles like Captain America 1 and 2, Avengers 1 to 5, and Black Widow 1. In reality, Johansson was not in the first Captain America film, and the fifth Avengers film has yet to be completed. Ironically, that much-anticipated movie is expected to debut even before audiences finally get to see Ali’s version of Blade on screen.
Public Curiosity Remains as Jurassic World Rebirth Opens
With Jurassic World Rebirth now showing in theaters, the cast continues promoting the film while media and fans keep pressing for news about Ali’s progress with Blade. His Marvel movie appearances remain limited, but the persistence of Ali’s co-stars and interviewers indicates that curiosity around his role in the MCU is unlikely to fade soon. As the delays stretch on, all eyes remain on Mahershala Ali, Marvel Studios, and what the eventual debut of Blade could mean for the next era of on-screen superheroes.
