Latest news with #DiegoComic-Con
Hans India
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Mahershala Ali is still keen on doing ‘Blade'
Los Angeles: Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali stepped out onstage during Marvel Studios' Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, where producer Kevin Feige announced that the actor would be playing the vampire slayer Blade. However, it was 6 years ago. The film would have rebooted the character first originated on-screen by Wesley Snipes and adding him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, reports 'Variety'. Since then, the project has dropped numerous directors, lost cast members and faced several delays. But even through all that turbulent development, Ali shared that he's keen to start filming on 'Blade'. 'Call Marvel', Ali said at the New York premiere of his new film 'Jurassic World Rebirth'. The actor kept his answer brief when asked when 'Blade' production could start. He told 'Variety', 'I'm ready. Let them know I'm ready'. Marvel Studios first announced 'Blade' in 2019, alongside other projects like Disney Plus series 'WandaVision', 'Loki' and 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' as well as movies like 'Eternals', 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' and 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'. But while all those projects have been produced and released, Marvel Studios is still trying to ice-skate uphill with 'Blade'. As per 'Variety', last October, Disney removed 'Blade' from its release calendar altogether, taking it off a November 7, 2025 release date. That came after numerous prior delays, the film's first official release date was November 3, 2023. The project first saw filmmaker Bassam Tariq sign on to direct the movie, before he exited in September 2022, roughly two months before a planned production start. Since then, director Yann Demanger has also joined and exited. Actors Aaron Pierre and Delroy Lindo were reportedly attached to star alongside Ali, but both have since revealed that they have left the project. 'It was really exciting conceptually, but it was also exciting in terms of the character that was going to form. And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails', Lindo told Entertainment Weekly about the project back in April. Back in November, Feige said that Marvel Studios was 'still committed' to 'Blade'.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Robert Downey Jr. Was Chosen To Play Doctor Doom
The idea that Robert Downey Jr. should play one of Marvel's ultimate bad guys predates his tenure as one of its ultimate good guys. When Downey walked onstage dressed as Doctor Doom at San Diego Comic-Con last year it was a shocker to nearly everyone, in large part because he had already saved the Marvel Universe as Tony Stark. But it seems the concept of Downey as bad guy Victor Von Doom goes way back to before the actor was ever cast as Iron Man's alter ego. More from Deadline How to Watch the Marvel Movies in Chronological Order Russo Brothers Talk 'Stumbling Upon' Idea Precipitating Their Return To The MCU Paul Rudd Addresses Ant-Man Future In 'Avengers: Doomsday' & 'Secret Wars' 'I remember you had all met with [Downey] already for like Doctor Doom or something on another project,' director Jon Favreau said in a 2023 conversation with Marvel boss Kevin Feige. 'I think he had come through on maybe [2005's] Fantastic Four, so everybody sort of knew who he was.' While that part has long been known, Joe Russo — who is directing the next two Avengers movies with his brother Anthony — recently revealed who had the genius idea to bring Downey back — not as Stark but as the Fantastic Four villain: none other than Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige. 'That was Kevin,' the younger Russo recently told the online outlet Omelete. 'Interestingly enough about that, that conversation was had a while ago.' Victor Von Doom was ultimately portrayed in the 2005 film by Nip/Tuck star Julian McMahon and Downey went on to debut as Stark in 2008's Iron Man, but Feige held onto the idea of casting Downey as Doom. This time around, once Downey agreed, the actor tried to talk his Avengers: Endgame directors into getting the band back together for the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: Doomsday. The duo demurred at first, according to Joe. 'Robert tried to talk us into doing it and we said 'no.' We just didn't have a story. We didn't have a way in. We were resistant for a while.' The brothers did eventually spark to a concept. 'One day Steve McFeely, one of our chief collaborators, said, 'I have an idea.' We went, 'That's the story!' That story has to be told. It's a really powerful story.' What is that concept? Neither of the directors would divulge much until Joe offered, 'The only thing I will say about the movie is this: We love villains who think they're the hero of their own stories. That's when they become three dimensional and they become more interesting. And when you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a well shaped, three-dimensional character for the audience.' Best of Deadline How To Watch 'Wicked: Part One': Is The Film Streaming Yet? All The Songs In 'Severance' Season 2: From The Who To Ella Fitzgerald 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery
