Summary

• Blade’s movie journey has faced delays and director changes.
• Despite setbacks, news of script updates and new crew members has brought hope for Blade’s future.
• The upcoming proper introduction of Blade in the MCU and teases of potential team-ups hint at a fresh take on the iconic hero.

Blade is set to feature one of the most popular comic book characters of all time – however, integrating him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe has proven to be more challenging than expected. Everything known about Blade has fluctuated in the years since the film was announced, and following a series of delays, the new MCU project has not yet gone before cameras. Stories around the film suggest discord between some involved parties and disagreements about the film’s direction, but much of this is speculative. Still, the available timeline helps to understand the state of the film.

Appearing in blockbuster films before Spider-Man and X-Men ushered in a new era of superhero cinema, Blade is an important character to get right. With a legacy of beloved films starring Wesley Snipes still watched to this day and an underrated Blade show on free streaming, the MCU must do something fresh and original with the character to set it apart from existing iterations. Casting Academy Award Winner Mahershala Ali as the Daywalker hero was an excellent start. However, it seems that the road to Blade releasing as part of the MCU timeline has been more fraught since.

Blade Is Announced At Comic-Con 2019

Blade was first announced at an exciting presentation at San Diego Comic Con in 2019. Following announcements for various films and series, including What If…? and Thor: Love and Thunder, a special appearance by Mahershala Ali ended the presentation by announcing Blade.Without a director or screenwriter attached, it seemed that Marvel may have announced the project too soon. However, the casting of the star and the idea of Blade being integrated in the universe was an exciting prospect.

Mahershala Ali made his first MCU appearance in
Luke Cage
as the villainous Cottonmouth.

It has since emerged that Ali was reportedly a driving force behind this adaptation. Feige and the rest of the team had certainly considered using Blade in the universe; however, their intention was directed toward the small screen, with a possible series. Instead, after Ali approached them to take on the role, the plan was reshaped into something bigger. With Ali dedicated to and passionate about the project, it became important for the studio to get it right.

The Film Adds Its First Director And First Writer In 2021

It took a little bit of time before any action was taken on the film, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stacy Osei-Kuffor joined as a screenwriter in February 2021, and Bassam Tariq joined as director in July. Osei-Kuffor is known for her work on the HBO Watchmen series as well as PEN15, with the former seeming likely the reason behind her hire due to its complex reimagining of comic book lore and understanding of racial relations in America.

Bassam Tariq came from a smaller background, best known for directing Mogul Mowgli. This addition to the team makes sense with how producer-driven MCU films are. Following in the footsteps of Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, and Jon Watts, Marvel has tended to hire successful filmmakers with small, generally more artful resumes that they can help foster to blockbuster success.

Blade Makes His First Appearance In The MCU

Blade finally entered the MCU in late 2021, with a small voice-over cameo in Eternals. In the post-credits scene of the film, Dane Whitman, who is destined to become the MCU’s Black Knight, picks up the Ebony Blade. A ghostly voice is heard, challenging Dane’s convictions and ensuring that he is ready for what is to come. The Ebony Blade is a magical weapon in Marvel lore, with dark roots, and hearing this voice, later confirmed to be Mahershala Ali’s Blade, sets up the character’s future in the MCU.

It is unclear if plans have since changed, but it seemed that the intention in the MCU at this time was to somehow connect the stories of Black Knight and Blade. There was a series of comics about MI13, where Whitman and Blade were both involved with a paranormal police service in Britain, which may have been what this cameo was intended to lead up to. Still, considering the critical disappointment of Eternals, and the continuous creative changes behind Blade, whatever connection was intended here may no longer be the case.

2022 Filming Plans Are Delayed, The First Director Leaves The Project

With the most important pieces in place, Blade finally received a November 2023 release date. The film was scheduled to begin shooting in late 2022, but the filming dates kept being pushed back. Much of this is speculated to have been the result of creative changes and dissatisfaction behind the scenes. What is concrete is that the film’s shooting was delayed several times throughout the year.

Amid all of these changes, Bassam Tariq eventually stepped away from the project. It was stated that this was not due to artistic disagreements, but simply production delays that prohibited the director from staying attached to the project. Some speculation has suggested that there were disagreements between Ali and Tariq; however, this is contrary to officially released statements. It is also worth noting that Tariq has stayed on board with Blade as an Executive Producer.

Blade Signs Its Second Director And A New Writer In Late 2022

Following these delays, and very shortly after Tariq departed the project, the studio replaced him with Yann Demange, best known as a director for television series like Lovecraft Country. Marvel also hired another writer for the film, apparently moving on from Osei-Kuffor as well as work from X-Men ’97 scribe Beau Demayo. Michael Starrbury was hired to rewrite the film in 2022.

With the introduction of these new crew members, the production of Blade underwent a significant transformation. The film’s shooting schedule was rescheduled to summer 2023, and the release date was pushed back to late 2024. This strategic move was aimed at allowing the new team time to address the production issues that had led to numerous shifts. The future of this new iteration of Blade seemed promising.

Changes Made To Cast And Script In 2023, Production Affected By Strikes

In April 2023, Pearl and X star Mia Goth joined the film as a villain. With Blade‘s cast at this time said to include Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre, it seemed that production was finally close to coming together. Goth was rumored to be playing Lillith, the daughter of Dracula, and would likely be the film’s main antagonist. This cast seemed to be shaping up to be something exciting, and it seemed Blade might finally be nearing filming.

The winds of change started to blow a little later, just before the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, when Nic Pizzolatto was brought on board to work on Starrbury’s script. Touch-ups are not uncommon close to production – however, in retrospect, this seemed worrisome. Then the strike began, followed by the SAG-AFTRA strike, leading to a complete halt in production, a situation that was felt deeply in the industry.

Blade Is Pushed Back To 2025

Without a finished script or the ability to film, Blade was brought to another standstill. It is unclear what the iteration of the script looked like at this point, but it is rumored to have been set in the 1920s. Strangely, other rumors circled the state of the picture at the time, saying that it relegated Blade to a background character in his film.The MCU film’s writer denied this, but Ali was reportedly still dissatisfied with the direction of the film, which he had hoped to be more like Black Panther.

With strikes affecting production, and rumored discord behind the scenes between Ali and the production team, another writer was hired in November 2023 in Logan screenwriter Michael Green. It is said that the film Green wrote was an entirely new and fresh story that may no longer have had a period setting. With continued delays, Blade was pushed back to February, then November 2025.

Blade’s Second Director Leaves The Project In 2024

Most recently, Blade lost its second director. Yann Demange was announced to have left the project in June 2024, and no director has yet been announced to take his place. No official reason was provided for Demange’s departure; however, speculation has circled that continuous delays and changes in the behind-the-scenes crew have led to his leaving the film. Notably, Demange’s departure was not announced until several weeks after he had already left the project.

Eric Pearson, a writer who has been involved in various Marvel projects, including Agent Carter, Black Widow, and Thor: Ragnarok, is the most recent addition to Blade‘s creative team. It is unclear how fundamental a rewrite is occurring to the script, which has had so many iterations, but bringing in someone more tied in to the MCU suggests that there is now a plan to make the film more interconnected than was originally planned.

Rumors have recently circled Blade being in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine. While an appearance by Mahershala Ali as the daywalker in that film would be a fun moment for audiences, a larger introduction of the character inside this film feels unlikely. If any Blade is to appear in the movie, it is more likely to be another iteration of the character. Considering the development state of the Blade film, Marvel must figure out their direction for the character before any further teases.

It is unclear exactly when this change occurred, but Aaron Pierre is also confirmed to have left the project. While no word has been made concerning the state of the cast, it would appear that Mia Goth is still attached, but her playing Lillith now feels up in the air. With rumored plans to build up to a Midnight Sons project, it appears that Blade is becoming more of a priority to the studio and that they wish to get it right. Blade will hopefully be released in 2025 and usher in a memorable new version of the hero.