The nights will remain vampire-filled for a while longer, as Marvel Studios halted the development of Blade until a new director is found. The movie was set to begin production this November, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, cast and crew were notified today the project was put on hold for an undetermined amount of time.
Starring Mahershala Ali as Marvel’s iconic vampire hunter, Blade is one of the most-anticipated projects of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Multiverse Saga.” Ali had some big shoes to fill after Wesley Snipes played the Day Walker in a movie trilogy starting in the 1990s, which helped to kickstart a new era of superhero movies in Hollywood. Still, with an actor as beloved as Ali in the role, there was little doubt Blade would do justice to the titular character. That is until director Bassam Tariq stepped down two weeks ago, supposedly due to scheduling conflicts.
Blade made its MCU debut last year in one of the mid-credits scenes of Eternals. While we don’t see Ali’s Day Walker in the scene, we can hear his voice as he asks Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) if he’s ready to take over the mantle of the Black Night. Since both characters worked together on multiple occasions in the comic books, fans have wondered if the Blade MCU movie would feature other heroes connected to the supernatural, such as the Black Knight. Unfortunately, Marvel Studios has been keeping us all in the dark regarding Blade’s plot, and with the project put on hold, the story might change to fit in a new release schedule.
Blade is officially set to appear in theaters on November 3, 2023. However, we should expect this date to change. Since Marvel Studios still hasn’t found a new director, the whole production calendar will be pushed. And since MCU movies need a long time in post-production before being released, Blade should get delayed at least a few months. However, since the MCU has already set theatrical release dates up to 2026, we can’t help but wonder where Blade might fit to remain a part of the “Multiverse Saga.”
Blade’s script is currently being written by Beau DeMayo (The Witcher, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), who took over after Stacy Osei-Kuffour. The movie is also set to star Delroy Lindo (The Good Fight) and Aaron Pierre (Old) in undisclosed roles. Since Blade is already an active hero in Eternals, the upcoming MCU movie shouldn’t be an origin story but will undoubtedly help to introduce more monsters into the MCU. Hopefully, the upcoming film will somehow connect with the critically acclaimed Werewolf by Night Halloween special.
Stay tuned for further developments.