In 2019, Marvel announced that award-winning actor Mahershala Ali would star as Blade, the iconic vampire hunter from the comics. Given the actor’s and character’s reputations, this was exciting news for MCU’s Blade fans. However, in the aftermath of Endgame and the real-world “blip,” news went silent regarding the film.
While troubled productions aren’t new to Hollywood, few are as high-profile as this one. Despite the character’s massive fandom, his film was repeatedly pushed back, altered, and remade during production. Here is a breakdown of the rocky history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Blade film.
The Character of MCU’s Blade
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For those needing a reminder, Blade is one of the many iconic superheroes of Marvel Comics. Debuting in 1973, he first starred as a rival to Dracula himself before evolving into his franchise entirely. Many appreciate the hero allowing Marvel to foray into traditional “horror monsters” stories such as werewolves, vampires, and other threats. Over the years, he has made various appearances in games and cartoons.
Of course, the honor of the most iconic iteration of the hero goes to the Blade trilogy. Produced by New Line Cinema (Elf, Lord of the Rings), the trilogy starred the heroic Wesley Snipes as the titular character. Three directors worked on the films, including the legendary horror creator Guillermo del Toro for the second. The series became a cult classic for its grounded action and unique take on the vampire genre. With Snipes’ cameo in Deadpool and Wolverine, he technically became the longest-running actor for a superhero role.
Mahershala Ali’s Announcement
Well over a decade after the trilogy’s end, the titular hero would return to the big screen again. During the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, Kevin Feige confirmed that the renegade would come to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Additionally, Mahershala Ali was announced to star as the hero mere months after he received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Green Book. Many fans believed Blade was the darker, street-level hero needed after the cosmic battle of Endgame.
The only taste of MCU’s Blade that audiences received thus far was a cameo in 2021’s The Eternals. In the film’s mid-credits scene, Dane Whitman looks over a black sword while Ali’s voice chastises him in the distance. Three years and several phases later, neither character was even mentioned again. Interestingly, whenever images are used for Ali’s Blade, they usually use an image of his character Vector from the 2019 film Alita: Battle Angel, another black-clad, sunglasses-wearing character. That remains the case five years later, highlighting the film’s stagnation.
A History of Delays
While the MCU’s Blade is no stranger to delays, reshoots, and production issues, few have lasted as long as this. The film was still in pre-production during the pandemic and SAG-AFTRA Strikes, leading to several production issues. At one point, the film was intended to start production in the Summer of 2022 for a November 2023 release before being delayed indefinitely. Marvel has the film trapped in limbo as other projects continually pop up around it.
One of the few consistent details that remained confirmed was Mia Goth’s undisclosed role in the film. The current planned release date is November 2025. In addition to the film’s many delays, many cast and crew members came and went before production even started. In the half-decade since the film’s announcement, it passed through directors Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, and writers Michael Green, Michael Starrbury, and Stacy Osei-Kuffor cycled through the project.
This includes two planned stars, Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre, who also left the team. When the film is released, it will be the product of several different writers and their visions. Ultimately, it seems Wesley Snipes spoke the truth: “There’s only been one MCU’s Blade, and there’s only ever going to be one Blade.”
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