Blade has finally made his mark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)—kind of. The vampire hunter’s first appearance came in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment during the series finale of Disney+’s What If…?, which aired last Sunday. The twist? This Blade isn’t the one fans have been waiting for but a variant from an alternate reality, blending his character with another fan favorite: Moon Knight.
The episode ended with a jaw-dropping montage of Marvel variants, teasing endless possibilities for the MCU. Among the glimpses was Blade as the “left fist of Khonshu,” wielding Moon Knight’s iconic powers in a white cape. Marvel fans quickly recognized this wasn’t just a throwaway cameo. A sneak peek back in October revealed the same Blade-Moon Knight hybrid slashing through the undead in a teaser for the upcoming animated series Marvel Zombies.
Of the many variants showcased in the finale, Blade-as-Moon Knight stands out as the only confirmed character set to appear in an upcoming Marvel production. Other intriguing variants included young Hela wielding Mjolnir, The Infinity Witch, and Nova Centurion Carol Danvers—characters previously seen in What If…? An Immersive Story on Apple Vision Pro VR. But whether these concepts will ever make it to the MCU remains anyone’s guess.
Marvel Zombies, a spinoff of What If…?, revisits the post-apocalyptic setting introduced in Season 1. Adapted from the 2005 Marvel Comics series of the same name, the animated miniseries is set to premiere in October 2025. While fans are eager to meet the Blade-Moon Knight mashup in action, Marvel Studios has yet to reveal the voice actor behind this unique character.
For the uninitiated, Moon Knight (played by Oscar Isaac in the 2022 live-action series) is a mercenary named Marc Spector with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), empowered by the Egyptian god Khonshu to deliver justice. Blade, on the other hand, is a human-vampire hybrid who hunts vampires to protect humanity. Wesley Snipes brought the character to life in a trilogy of films from 1998 to 2004, but the MCU’s Blade, portrayed by Mahershala Ali, has yet to make his full debut.
The combination of these two characters raises plenty of questions. How does Blade’s hybrid nature align with Khonshu’s criteria for selecting avatars? Will his partially undead status conflict with the Moon Knight mantle? Fans are buzzing with theories, hoping Marvel Zombies will delve into the mechanics of this fascinating mashup.
As Marvel Zombies gears up for its October 2025 release, the wait for Blade’s official MCU introduction becomes even more tantalizing. Until then, What If…? is streaming now on Disney+, offering fans a taste of the endless possibilities within the Marvel Multiverse.
