Disney confirmed today Delroy Lindo is joining the cast of the upcoming Blade reboot. He’ll co-star opposite two-time Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali, who is stepping into the role of the titular character, a half-vampire, half-mortal hero.
While Ali’s casting was announced at Comic-Con in 2019, Lindo is the only other actor cast in the project since, though his exact role is unclear. The film has, however, added a writer and director.
Playwright Stacy Osei-Kuffour signed on to pen the Marvel reboot. Bassam Tariq, best known for directing the Riz Ahmed film Mogul Mowgli, will helm the the new adaptation of the popular comic.
Created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan, Blade first appeared in the 1973 comic book The Tomb of Dracula. The human-vampire hybrid is a protector of the mortal race while slaying evil vampires. Wesley Snipes played the part in the original Blade trilogy from New Line.
Marvel’s Kevin Feige has made it his mission in recent years to diversify not only the cast appearing in front of the camera but those behind it as well, and recent hires have proven that.
Osei-Kuffour is the first Black woman to pen a Marvel movie, while Tariq marks the sixth person of color to direct a film for Marvel.
Lindo’s career spans decades, from TV roles such as Beauty & the Beast in the ’80s to parts on This Is Us and The Good Fight. In film, Lindo has been a frequent Spike Lee collaborator, appearing in Malcolm X, Crooklyn, Clockers and Da 5 Bloods. His other prominent films include Get Shorty, The Cider House Rules, Gone in 60 Seconds and Up. The actor’s most current project is Netflix’s The Harder They Fall.