New Theory Suggests Blade Could Be Introduced In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

It’s not a confirmation by any stretch, but a new theory suggests that Blade could end up being introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Screen Rant has the speculation here, leaning on an interview by Kevin Feige with Rotten Tomatoes during San Diego Comic-Con.

“We have, for years, wanted to find a new way into Blade, we love that character,” Feige said. “We love that world. Now, with Doctor Strange and the supernatural elements coming into the MCU, it felt like we could definitely start exploring that.”

As fans know, Mahershala Ali has been tabbed to play Blade in the new Marvel movie. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been described as Marvel’s first “horror film,” and the mention of the multiverse suggests that this could be a way to bring in elements that have previously been unmentioned in the MCU despite things like a full SHIELD spy info dump going public in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The first Doctor Strange had a subtle reference to the Darkhold, a book of dark magic that was a major plot element of Agents of SHIELD season four. The Darkhold is, in the comics, the creation of Chthon, a Cthulhu-like Elder God who attempted to possess Scarlet Witch at one point. In 1983’s Doctor Strange #59 through 62, Wanda and Strange team up (along with Monica Rambeau) to take on a group seeking the Darkhold, which includes Dracula. Issue #61 and 62 specifically feature Blade, who joins in the fight. Elizabeth Olson is confirmed to reprise her role as Wanda in Multiverse of Madness. Again, this is theorizing at this point, but all the elements do seem to be in play for the film to possibly introduce Blade, and introducing new characters in established films is something Marvel has shown a penchant for.

Scott Derrickson, the director of the upcoming Doctor Strange film had the following to say about the film:

“What excites me about Doctor Strange is what made him great in the comics; that he doesn’t fight villains from this earth, or even from this universe, but from the multiverse and other dimensions, so you get into all kinds of psychedelic weirdness, which this movie is going to. But when I came and talked to (producer Kevin Feige) about doing a sequel, I said, ‘I don’t want to do just another sequel to do a sequel, if I’m gonna do it it has to go into the territory that drew me into the Doctor Strange comics in the first place, which is how they dipped into the gothic and the horror and the horrific, and we’re gonna make the first scary MCU film.”

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to release on May 7, 2021.