'True Detective' Creator Wanted Mahershala Ali to Play Marvel's Moon Knight

Of the bevy of announcements to emerge from Marvel Studios’ San Diego Comic-Con panel, few were more exciting than that of Mahershala Ali’s casting in a reboot of Blade. This week, however, it emerged that another creator had plans in mind for Ali--collaborator and True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto, who said he wanted to work with Ali for the character Moon Knight.

According to CinemaBlend, the idea emerged in the comments section of an Instagram post by Ali that featured a photo of Wesley Snipes’ Blade, functioning as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the role. Among congratulatory comments from figures such as Lupe Fiasco and Neill Blomkamp, Pizzolatto commented, "Aw man. I wanted us to do Moon Night [sic]."

Despite Pizzolatto’s spelling, it seemed clear that his comment referred to the Marvel Comics character Moon Knight, a decades-old fan-favorite who has been involved, at various times, with the street-level, supernatural, and cosmic strains of the Marvel Universe. Though suggestions of a Moon Knight series or film have long circulated, none have yet materialized; it is unclear whether Pizzolatto’s comment was based on anything concrete, or if it was simply a vague concept.

As CinemaBlend notes, the new Blade emerged not from a grand vision by Marvel Studios but rather from Ali’s own enthusiasm for the character. Details remain scant at this stage, but the film will likely appear in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, alongside such films as Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Widow.

In any case, we’re excited to see where Ali and Marvel Studios go next with Blade--though some part of us will always want to see what Pizzolatto’s vision for Moon Knight would have been.