Marvel and Disney have been making huge strides to increase their diversity and representation in their films, most recently hiring director Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, an upcoming Candyman sequel) to helm Captain Marvel 2. This time, they set their sights on HBO’s Watchmen’s story editor Stacy Osei-Kuffour.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios went on a six-month-long search for a writer for the upcoming Blade reboot, a film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Mahershala Ali in the title role. Ali was heavily involved in the decision for which only Black writers were seriously considered. The move was part of Marvel’s dedication to diversifying in an effort to advance the voices of non-white characters.
Osei-Kuffour, who holds a master’s degree from Hunter College in New York, began her career as a playwright and has worked on a number of popular shows including Hunters on Amazon original series (which starred Al Pacino as a Nazi hunter in the 1970s). She also earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding writing in a comedy series for her work on PEN15 for Hulu. She spent her time on HBO’s Watchmen as the series’ story editor and even has one “Written By” credit to her name.
The character of Blade, created by Gene Colan and Marv Wolfman, first appeared in the pages of Marvel Comics back in 1973 and has had three popular movies produced by New Line Cinemas starring Wesley Snipes.
It will be interesting to see how Stacy Osei-Kuffour handles the character of Blade and how her life experiences and voice translate onto the big screen. There’s no doubt that, given the talent behind the film, that it will be successful, and I, for one, am eagerly anticipating its release.
