Mahershela Ali was launched to fame for his 2016 roles in "Moonlight," for which he won an Oscar for best supporting actor, and Marvel's "Luke Cage" as the first season's antagonist, Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes, but his talent is super versatile. Over the last few years, he's had recurring roles in multiple acclaimed TV series, like "True Detective" and "Ramy," been in dramas, action-packed blockbusters, and animated movies, and even lent his voice to video games.
In 2019, Marvel announced they would be rebooting the "Blade" franchise with Ali playing the title role, but the project's fate has been dubious from the start. Amid pandemic delays and having to replace the director along the way, the film was pushed to September 2024. "We're working on it," he told Entertainment Weekly, adding, "I'm really encouraged with the direction of the project. I think we'll be back at it relatively soon."
In the meantime, he's remained part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a role in the animated Miles Morales "Spider-Man," and his newest movie, "Leave the World Behind," was recently released on Netflix. His role in "The Hunger Games" may have been a small one, but Ali's obvious talents are finally getting the spotlight they deserve.
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