Vampires are one of the most represented characters in the cinematic industry. Now the MCU is close to introducing these blood-thirsty creatures into its ever-expanding saga. There are already hints of three potential vampire hunters in the MCU. Albeit the MCU does not belong to the horror genre, it can shape itself in that direction. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness may become the first film in the MCU to touch on the horror genre, and its first trailer is testimony to that.

The president of Marvel Studios; Kevin Feige has already acknowledged this to be true. He confessed he wants to introduce dark and horror elements to the MCU through Multiverse Of Madness. Marvel’s Moon Knight is going to be released just before this MCU blockbuster. It is difficult to consider this as just a coincidence. Kevin Feige has openly discussed Blade, the vampire hunter with Rotten Tomatoes, and he confirmed Mahershala Ali will play the role.

He said, “We have, for years, wanted to find a new way into Blade, we love that character, we love that world. Now, with Doctor Strange and the supernatural elements coming into the MCU, it felt like we could definitely start exploring that”. MCU films in phases 1,2 and 3 involved explorations of one continuous narrative. Now the MCU appears to have changed directions. The Phase 4 Marvel movies seem to establish multiple narrative threads throughout their different films. There is the possibility that one of the narratives involves vampires.

Known Vampires In The MCU

Thor: Ragnarok is the first movie to confirm the existence of vampires in the MCU. The character of Korg suggested weapons to replace Thor’s iconic hammer Mjolnir in a scene in the movie. One was a three-pronged spear. Korg described this weapon as” not really useful unless you’re fighting off three vampires that were huddled together”. This was a fun Easter egg, a clear nod to director Taika Waititi‘s vampire film What We Do In The Shadows. A scene in Loki episode 4 involved Mobius complaining about the two Loki variants causing problems for the Time Variance Authority. “We brought in Kree, Titans, vampires. Why is it the two orphan demigods are such a pain in the ass?” He seethed. This points out again; there are vampires in the MCU who may be equivalent to or better than Thanos himself.

Vocal cameo of Mahershala Ali as Blade in the post-credits scene of Eternals concretizes vampires. He speaks to Dane Whitman, asking whether he is ready to wield the Ebony blade. Interestingly, Mahershala did not appear in the shot because Marvel had not completed his costume design. It won’t be long before Mahershala Ali officially portrays the first vampire in the MCU after Blade’s production begins in summer 2022.

Who Are the Three Vampire Hunters In MCU?

The character of Black Knight in the MCU might also be a vampire hunter. The post-credit scene in Eternals hints at this possibility. As Eternals producer Nate Moore suggested, choosing Blade as the mysterious voice in the scene is not just a coincidence. “The Ebony Blade, the characteristics of the Ebony Blade are not dissimilar to some degree of vampirism; We think that’s an interesting kind of thing to play with. So we kind of knew that was on the table‘ “. He confessed.

As for Moon Knight, he certainly possesses some traits which make him a potential vampire hunter. Egyptian God Khonsu is the source of his powers. Curiously, Khonshu dislikes vampires for claiming the night for their hunting time; in his comics and considers himself a protector and avenger of those who travel at night. The fact that Khonshu used successive Moon Knights to hunt down and kill vampires, is one reason he chose this method of working. Marvel has the habit of spiking up a character’s status quo before introducing related plot twists in blockbusters, and Moon Knight hints at that. Because, ironically, Marc Spector, the present Moon Knight, has instead made a point of championing those who were unwillingly turned, even if it meant protecting them from other Khonshu servants.

Vampires Getting Attention As Villains

Laura Donnelly has recently joined the cast of Werewolf By Night. The Marvel Studios team refuses to confirm details of her casting, but Donnelly could be a bridge between vampires and werewolves. She is rumored to play the character of a lycanthrope who is bitten by a vampire. This may mean she has the abilities of both vampires and werewolves, while not having their usual weaknesses. She keeps her human intelligence alive even after changing into a werewolf. Sunlight, the weakness of vampires, seems to have no effect on her either. A small detail from Amazing Fantasy #10 tells that vampires are like alpha predators. So they have no inclination towards the likes of them. Rather, they see other vampires as a threat.

Loki hinted vampires are on a par with Thanos in power level, which would explain why they haven‘t been seen before in the MCU. So it makes sense to say that modern vampire hunters have genius tracking abilities. Which complements their assassin-like way of working. Also, their socio-political influence and wealth will make them hard to deal with. Thus, they would make perfect antagonists in upcoming MCU narratives.