Why Blade’s MCU Debut Is Disappointing

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Eternals.

Mahershala Ali’s Blade made his MCU debut in Eternals, but why was Marvel’s vampire-hunting hero’s first appearance so disappointing? Mahershala Ali actively sought out the role of Blade, having been a fan of the character previously played by Wesley Snipes. His casting was announced back in 2019 and since then Marvel audiences have been eagerly anticipating Blade’s introduction to the MCU. Blade’s debut however was fleeting, to say the least.

In the post-credits scene of Eternals, Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman opens a chest containing a powerful sword called the Ebony Blade, foreshadowing his impending call to arms as the hero, Black Knight. As Dane goes to touch the sword an off-screen voice says, “Sure you’re ready for that, Mr. Whitman?” At which point the scene, and the movie, ends. The disembodied voice is Mahersahla Ali’s Blade, making his MCU debut.

Given how perfect Mahershala Ali’s casting is, it is an incredibly underwhelming introduction to the MCU’s version of Blade. While audiences are by now well-trained to remain in their seats till the end credits in Marvel movies, Blade’s off-screen debut has no impact or bearing upon Eternals at all. The scene is centered on Dane Whitman, and would work just as well if it ended before Blade’s single line of dialogue. It’s not even clear at first if Blade’s Eternals cameo is even him. While choosing a voice-only debut is a deliberate creative choice (the filmmakers did debate cutting to Blade in the scene), the tease is so subtle that it robs it of a lot of its intended impact. Blade is an important character within Marvel, especially as Kevin Fiege is starting to venture into the horror/fantasy corners of the MCU with Moon Knight and Werewolf By Night. His introduction to the MCU deserved to be something more memorable.

New MCU characters have been introduced in a variety of ways. Some get their own movies right from the start (Ant-Man, Doctor Strange), while others co-star before (eventually) getting their own adventure (Black Widow in Iron Man 2, Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier). Spider-Man’s screen time in Captain America: Civil War wasn’t overly long, however, he still stole the show (along with Cap’s shield). Even when limited to an MCU post-credits scene at the end of Iron Man, Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury was still actually on-screen, allowing viewers to see him in all his comics’ accurate glory. Given all this, limiting Blade’s debut to an off-screen voice (that isn’t even credited as being Mahershala Ali) in the final seconds of Eternals can’t help appearing as a disappointment in comparison to the debuts afforded to his fellow heroes.

Notwithstanding this, the future is bright for Mahershala Ali’s Blade. The character has numerous Disney+ shows or films that he could potentially appear in before his own movie is released. Blade, hailing from director Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli) and Watchmen writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour is likely to be part of Phase 5 of the MCU but has yet not been given a release date. If he does show up again before his own movie, hopefully, he’ll have a lot more to do than he did in Eternals.

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