Without a doubt: Mahershala Ali is one of the best actors of our time. In 2008, he played his first major role in a movie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, before becoming ultimate insider tip for casting directors. If you needed a great actor in a supporting role who would be remembered even after just a few minutes of screen time, Ali’s number was yours.
Through House of Cards and his blockbuster involvement in the Hunger Games series, he established himself widely in Hollywood. With Moonlight, he moved into the fast lane: In 2017, Ali received the Oscar for Best Supporting ActorTwo years later, he repeated the feat: he was also able to take home the golden boy for the road movie Green Book.
For a moment, it seemed as if Ali was taking over the entire dream factory. But the truth is: Since his second Oscar award at the end of February 2019, he has been no longer seen in any film on the big screen – despite the fact that he was cast in one of the most iconic superhero roles a short time later. Instead, he has spent the last five years living a strange career in standby mode.
Mahershala Ali has won two Oscars and has been waiting for his big Marvel blockbuster ever since
As vampire hunter Blade, Ali was supposed to conquer the Marvel Cinematic Universe after he had previously played the Marvel villain Cottonmouth in the Netflix series Luke Cage. Undoubtedly one of the biggest casting coups of the franchisebut to date, Ali has never appeared in costume in front of the camera. There is no trace of his Blade in the MCU, apart from a voice cameo in the post-credit scene of Eternals.
The Blade reboot is stuck in development hell and has burned several directors and screenwriters. However, Ali is sticking with the film – and not just because of contractual obligations. Because these are likely to expire after five years. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Ali sees the Blade film as his own Black Panther. And that has blocked his schedule for half a decade.
It’s not as if Ali hasn’t made any more films since 2019. There are seven entries in his filmography since Alita: Battle Angel, which was released in theaters shortly before his second Oscar award. With the exception of the prestigious third season of True Detective, however, none of them seem like a coveted engagementthat a Hollywood star would land after winning two Oscars.
Mahershala Ali leads a shadowy existence in streaming, although his talent belongs on the big screen
And even more exciting: none of the projects took place in the cinema. After the double screen triumph, Ali directly into the streaming landscape Swan Song landed on Apple TV+, Leave the World Behind was released by Netflix. There was also a guest role in the second season of the dramedy Ramy, but nothing that seems like someone is tackling their next big challenge.
Further speaking roles in Invincible and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse reinforce the impression of Ali’s standby phase, which seems to be dragging on for an eternity. Until Blade takes concrete form, supporting roles like the ones he plays in the next Jurassic World film will be the most we will see of him in the cinema. Have we secretly, quietly and quietly discovered a incredible screen presence lost?
The way Ali balances words on his lips. How he squints his eyes and changes his posture at crucial moments. Even in the most inconspicuous supporting role, he leaves lasting impression with a performance full of subtle accents that hit the mark. With a nod, he could single-handedly carry the emotional climax of a film.
Waiting for Marvel: The troubled Blade film paralyzes Mahershala Ali’s entire career
Ali will certainly have plenty of opportunities to prove his incredible talent. Not seeing him in the cinema for five years still feels wrong and sends you down a rabbit hole of “what if?” thoughts. But a Hollywood career can not perfectly planned even if Leonardo DiCaprio sometimes makes us believe that with his exquisite choice of roles.
The tragedy with Ali is that we watch him waiting for a big film that may never come – and this at a time when stars can shape their status in the dream factory more actively than ever before. Glen Powell is currently the best example of this. With every new film project he creates a sharper profile and collaborates with interesting talents.
After 20 years in the shadows, Powell has turned his career around with just one big-screen role in Top Gun: Maverick. Now he not only impresses as a leading man in box office hits such as Where the Lie Falls and Twisters, but has also established himself as an extremely capable Architect of his own career And that is exactly the moment Ali missed after his two Oscars. Now he is waiting for Marvel.