Deadline is exclusively reporting that Aaron Pierre is the latest name to join the cast of Marvel Studios film Blade.

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Blade (sometimes referred to as Daywalker) is half-vampire, half-mortal, who becomes a protector of the mortal race against the threat of vampires.

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The report states that Aaron Pierre’s role is currently being kept under wraps, but does say that the role itself was one of the more highly coveted parts in Hollywood, with Deadline insiders saying that Kevin Feige, the director and others took their time in finding the right person for this role, meeting dozens of up-and-coming actors, with Pierre becoming the favourite in recent weeks. His credits include The Underground Railroad and Krypton.

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Blade first appeared in Marvel Comics back in 1973 by Marv Wolfman, appearing as a supporting character in The Tomb of Dracula #10. Blade would have his big screen debut in New Line’s 1998 film, which was R-rated and starred Wesley Snipes as the title character. Blade would be a hit that summer, making $131m worldwide and spawning two sequels (Blade II and Blade Trinity). Blade would also appear in the small screen in 2006, with Sticky Fingaz playing the title character, with the show only lasting one season.

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The film is being written by Stacy Osei-Kuffour and directed by Bassam Tariq. Aaron Pierre will join a cast that includes Mahershala Ali and Delroy Lindo.