10 MCU Characters Missing From Marvel's Phase 4 (And Why)

6. Blade

Much to the delight of comic book fans everywhere, it was revealed during last July's Comic-Con that Mahershala Ali has been cast as Blade in the MCU. While the actor has previously played the villainous Cottonmouth in Luke Cage, the Marvel TV shows don't really count as part of this shared world, so his casting isn't exactly a shocker.

What is surprising is that this Blade reboot won't be coming our way during Phase 4. There are rumours that the Moon Knight TV series coming to Disney+ will start adding supernatural elements to the MCU (Werewolf by Night, for example), so it seems like could lay the groundwork for the eventual Blade movie.

Ali is very much an in demand actor, so his schedule probably means that it will be a good few years before he's free to start working on Blade. Now, a cameo in Phase 4 is certainly possible, but there are no upcoming releases which stand out as a plausible fit to introduce vampires and the badass hero who hunts them before he gets a movie of his own.