The much-anticipated Blade movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seemingly been drained of all its lifeblood. After facing numerous challenges over the years, the project appears to have stalled indefinitely, dashing hopes of seeing Mahershala Ali take on the role of the iconic Daywalker. This could be one of the most significant setbacks in the MCU's history.
Rapper and artist Flying Lotus recently shared on X / Twitter his involvement in the project, revealing that Blade is no longer moving forward. "I guess we are so far from it even being a possibility now but. Yeah I was signed on to write music for the new BLADE movie before it fell thru," said the DJ, who also directed the recent sci-fi horror ASH for Shudder. "Maybe it'll come around again but I doubt it. Would have been fun tho."
Just a day before Flying Lotus' tweet, costume designer Ruth E. Carter, known for her work on Sinners, confirmed on The John Campea Show that she was set to design costumes for Blade before the project fell apart. Adding to the intrigue, the film was intended to be set in the 1920s, promising a visually stunning and unique take on the character.
Completing the trifecta of bad news, actor Delroy Lindo, who was also set to star in the film alongside Ali, recently discussed the project's collapse with Entertainment Weekly. "When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," he said. "And in the various conversations I had with producers, the writer, the director at the time, it was all leading into being very inclusive. It was really exciting conceptually, but it was also exciting in terms of the character that was going to form. And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails."
Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, and if everything had gone according to plan, fans would have been eagerly awaiting its release this November. The film has seen several directors come and go, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, but none have stayed with the project.
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Given the rollercoaster journey of this adaptation, it's hard to believe that it's only been six months since Blade was removed from Marvel's release schedule in October 2024. No new release date has been confirmed yet. However, a month after the film's removal, MCU boss Kevin Feige reassured fans during an interview with Omelete in November 2024 that the studio remains committed to the project. "We are committed to Blade. We love the character, we love Mahershala's take on him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know. You're all up to date on what's happening," he stated. "But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."
