Marvel Studios has had a monumental impact on the film industry in its twelve-year history, releasing numerous record-breaking blockbusters and creating household names out of previously obscure actors and filmmakers.
It's no surprise that so many directors are now jumping at the chance to make a Marvel movie, and as the Marvel Cinematic Universe begins adapting more and more fan-favorite characters, a highly successful action director is expressing his desires to join the Marvel family.
NEWS
Comicbook.com interviewed director Chad Stahelski, who co-directed John Wick and was the sole director of its two sequels. Stahelski expressed his admiration for Marvel and the superhero genre in general, stating:
As far as doing my own, I'm not a gigantic superhero guy, but I enjoy the movies. I love the Avengers. I loved Captain America . I like James Gunn's take on Guardians . I really dig him as a director and what he's done with that. Ragnarok, I felt was really funny. I thought that was clever. I've come around.
Stahelski then named the Marvel character he would most like to adapt, saying:
If the opportunity ever came, I would like to take a stab at...the one that really jumps out to me would be like Blade . If they were going to redo Blade or something like that, just because I feel that one, for some reason, the vampire martial art action vibe. That would be a cool one to stretch and try and reinvent.
The director ended with some apprehension towards helming an MCU film though, stating:
Other than that, it's like, look, I've got the John Wick stuff... I just like more of the original properties that you can grow from as opposed to step into a number five or a number six. That's all. Just choice.
WHAT THIS MEANS
Stahelski may be excited to learn that Marvel Studios is indeed planning on rebooting Blade , as Kevin Feige announced the project at last year's San Diego Comic-Con with Mahershala Ali attached to star. Though the film has yet to be given an official release date, there's no question that Marvel Studios is looking to reinvent the popular character's franchise, and Chad Stahelski may be the perfect person for the job.
Stahelski began his career as a stuntman, before jumping over to co-direct John Wick , and even serving as a second-unit director for Captain America: Civil War and DC's Birds of Prey . The director certainly has an eye for action, and the John Wick franchise has shown how well Stahelski utilizes action as a method to drive the story forward, as opposed to the other way around.
Blade could most definitely fit a John Wick type of film, with a central action-driven protagonist who makes his way through dangerous world in pursuit of an extremely personal goal. Stahelski seems to already have ideas on how he could put his own stamp on the vampire/ martial arts film, and the director could definitely create an entirely new and exciting type of superhero film.
MCU Writer
