The Fantastic Four cast has been revealed at long last, but there’s still one other big promise from Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con panel way back in 2019 that we’re still waiting to play out. That event saw Mahershala Ali proudly welcomed on stage as our new Blade, set to lead an MCU reboot of the Daywalker’s movie saga. And yet, thanks to various creative upheavals and comings and goings behind the scenes, the new Blade isn’t scheduled to drop until Nov. 7, 2025.

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Honestly, we’re not entirely sure it’s going to make that date — which would be over six years since its announcement — either. Thankfully, the most recent update we received on the project suggests that Ali, who has been very involved and reportedly very particular about the script, is finally happy with the story’s shape and is raring to go. With any luck, then, filming could begin later this year. But with Blade not getting here until the cusp of 2026 at the earliest, it’s possible that Ali’s inaugural turn as Eric Brooks could happen in another Marvel production. One that there’s a good chance you’d forgotten was even a thing.

Blade could make his proper Marvel Studios debut in Disney Plus’ most forgotten upcoming project

We might’ve already heard the tiniest peep from Ali as Blade in the Eternals post-credits scene, but this was more of a brief tease than his proper franchise debut. Ironically, though, his actual premiere performance might also occur via a voiceover. At least, that’s according to the latest word on the street. A rumor has sprung up from various sources claiming that Blade will appear in the Marvel Zombies animated series, with Ali providing the vocals.

Remember Marvel Zombies? This was first announced following the positive response to the zombie apocalypse episode of What If…? season 1, imagining a universe where the Avengers have fallen prey to an undead apocalypse. Expected to be loosely based on the comics series of the same name, the show is promised to be TV-MA, so anticipate lots of blood and gore. A monster hunter like Blade should be right at home.

Blade plays a key role in the comics version of events too. In Marvel Zombies: Resurrection, Blade takes Valeria and Franklin Richards under his wing after their parents have been zombified. Sadly, it’s probably too early for Reed and Sue’s kids to show up in animation, whether they’re in The Fantastic Four or not, but it’s possible this storyline could be tweaked to see Blade pairing up with another youthful character. We know Iman Vellani will reprise Ms. Marvel in the series, so how about an unlikely Blade/Kamala Khan team-up?

Again, this is just a rumor for now, and with so much about the four-part Marvel Zombies miniseries kept under wraps, who knows how much truth there is in it? Nevertheless, it serves as a welcome ray of hope that our long-held hype for the vamp-killer will pay off sooner than later.