The Marvel Character Played by FROM’s Harold Perrineau Has Become the MCU’s Biggest Headache

FROM’s Harold Perrineau voiced the Marvel character Blade in Marvel Anime: Blade way back in 2011. If you’re a fan of the character or found out about him only recently when Wesley Snipes made a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, you’re probably wondering why we haven’t seen more of the vampire hunter. Blade is plagued as being the MCU’s biggest headache, with a reboot that has shifted hands and actors more times than we can count.

Blade was an iconic Marvel movie from 1998, starring Wesley Snipes, that saw a trilogy of films that have become a cult classic among fans of the character. With imagery and themes that resonated with a more mature audience, it seemed like everything would go well for the character, but as time would have it, the mismanagement of the IP has led to disaster.

Why Blade Is MCU’s Biggest Headache

A Blade reboot has been in talks for far too long, dating back to its initial announcement at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. Marvel Studios has been utterly chaotic with how they are handling this reboot, and unfortunately, the movie is stuck in production hell. Starting with Bassam Tariq being hired to direct in 2021, then later Yann Demange, Blade never had a solid vision.

Back in 2021, Phase 4 of the MCU had a rocky but definitive movement forward. With releases like Shang-Chi and No Way Home, the balance was offset by lukewarm films like Black Widow and Eternals. This would’ve been an ideal moment for Blade’s introduction in the MCU, as people were still not feeling the extent of superhero fatigue. With the legendary Mahershala Ali set to take on the titular role, the movie was originally slated for a 2023 release. Once again, with the WGA strikes and script reworks, this was pushed.

2024 did see Blade return, in the form of Wesley Snipes’ cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine. Arguably, this film revitalized the MCU after repeated disasters, including Ant-Man and Thor. At this point in time, it was hard to envision a stable future for the character as the superhero genre faced shifting box office trends and constant delays.

Mainly kids’ films did well in 2024, with Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 dominating the box office, while superhero films were climbing down the box office ladder (via BoxOfficeMojo). It was hard to envision a future of original stories as our cinemas were packed with reboots, remakes, or sequels.

This changed slowly in 2025, as the MCU shifted focus towards better films like Fantastic Four, but where was Blade during all this? Demange departed the project in 2024, and even the script has been rewritten by multiple acclaimed writers like Beau DeMayo (X-Men ’97) and Nic Pizzolatto (True Detective).

The MCU has not prioritized Blade post-Endgame. The phase was supposed to be the next chapter of the MCU, introducing new heroes while retaining some of the OGs. Blade would’ve been a great addition to the roster, potentially setting up the Midnight Suns side of the MCU that fans would’ve eaten up. With the success of horror films, vampire films, and monster flicks, it’s unfortunate to see Blade being sidelined repeatedly in favour of other projects like She-Hulk.

What is Blade’s status now? Well, it remains murky. Kevin Feige is still looking for a director, and it looks like the project might be dead as they turn it into a Midnight Suns flick.

Perrineau’s Miniseries Remains Last Blade Adaptation

A still from Marvel Anime | Marvel Entertainment

Harold Perrineau of FROM fame voiced the character briefly in Marvel Anime: Blade. Leaning much harder into the supernatural side of action, this episode was the last Blade standalone project from Marvel. Perrineau was quite excited to take on the role, telling audiences at 2011’s NYCC (via Digital Spy):

The project was developed by Marvel Entertainment and Japanese anime studio Madhouse, marking an epic collaboration between the East and West. Properties of Marvel deserve anime adaptations given the art style and how hardcore Japanese studios take their work.

The miniseries placed the vampire/killer all over the world: Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia. On a revenge quest, we saw Blade team up with allies to track down the vampire network behind his mother’s death. The episode was as hauntingly tragic as it was epic. We got to see Wolverine in a cameo role while taking down thugs.

Perrineau’s voice worked really well for the character, and if you’ve seen FROM, you know that Sheriff Boyd has a commanding presence. Both FROM and Marvel Anime: Blade are horror projects starring the actor, so are we in the midst of witnessing another horror icon in the making?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Marvel Anime: Blade is streaming on Disney+ in the U.S.