Marvel seems to have found a director for its next flick Blade – Karachi-born filmmaker Bassam Tariq who earlier helmed the Riz Ahmed starrer Mogul Mowgli. According to Deadline, Tariq is in talks to take up the reigns on the big-screen adaptation of the Blade comic which is set to star Mahershala Ali as the eponymous vampire-hunter. However, no official deal has been signed yet. The project has already roped in Stacy Osei-Kuffour as a script-writer, with Marvel president Kevin Feige serving as producer. Although Marvel did not respond to Deadline’s requests for comment, Ali, Feige and various studio execs have reportedly met up with a dozen candidates since fall 2020. After another round of meetings from March to June, they managed to zero in on Bassam Tariq. Plans to recreate the Blade character were first announced at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. The character was earlier portrayed by actor Wesley Snipes in the early 2000s. Tha character, created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan, first appeared in the Tomb of Dracula No. 10 in 1973 and is a half-vampire – his mother was bitten and killed by a vampire. Blade is currently undated but is expected to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four releases.