Marvel announces new Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali at Comic-Con

Marvel dropped a big surprise at its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con: Blade, the vampire hunter, is coming back to movie theaters as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And this time he’ll be portrayed by Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali (Green Book, Moonlight).

Marvel did not announce a release date or further details for Blade, but did release a sharp-looking logo for the film.

Blade has already been explored as a character in some of Marvel’s earliest films. Wesley Snipes portrayed the vampire hunter in three movies: 1998’s Blade, 2002’s Blade 2, and 2004’s Blade: Trinity.

Blade debuted in Marvel Comics in 1973, as a supporting character in issue 10 of The Tomb of Dracula. Born Eric Brooks, Blade received his superhuman powers as a result of his mother being bitten by vampire Deacon Frost while Eric was still in the womb. Blade has “all of the strengths of a vampire and none of their weaknesses save one: a never-ending thirst for human blood,” according to Marvel.