A History Of Marvel’s Troubled Blade Production

Blade is set to be one of the most game-changing films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring Mahershala Ali as the titular Daywalker. The Phase 6 film, is set to hit theaters on November 7, 2025, and is based on the Marvel Comics character. It is also the first time the character has been seen on the big screen since Wesley Snipes’ trilogy. Blade is expected to introduce the supernatural side of the MCU, including vampires and other dark creatures lurking in the shadows of the franchise. Although fans were especially excited about the film’s announcement several years ago, things have quickly spiraled out of control, leaving the film in one of the most public development hells in movie history.

In June of 2024, Blade lost its director, Yann Demange, marking the second time a director has left the project since its announcement in 2019. With so many delays and setbacks plaguing the film from the beginning, much of the excitement surrounding Blade has faded into weariness. It is all Marvel can do to keep the Phase 6 film from being canceled, leaving many fans pessimistic about it hitting theaters anytime soon. After years of development, what is going on with Blade? Even more pressing, will the film ever even happen?

A History Of Blade’s Troubled Production Process

Blade Got Off To An Exciting Start In 2019

Kevin Feige first announced Blade as a part of the MCU’s Phase 5 at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, shortly after the conclusion of the Infinity Saga. Mahershala Ali appeared onstage to raucous cheers as Feige officially confirmed that the Academy Award-winning actor would be playing the eponymous vampire hunter. Shortly afterward, the entire MCU was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Blade was affected alongside most other Marvel projects, with very few developments coming forth in that year. Nevertheless, 2021 saw progress pick up, with Blade finding a director in Bassam Tariq and a screenwriter in Stacy Osei-Kuffour, known for her work in popular shows like The Morning Show and The Bear. The initial release date was confirmed sometime later to be November 3, 2023.

2021 Started Well, But Ended With A Massive Shift For The Blade Reboot

Blade made his first official appearance in the MCU in the post-credit scene of 2021’s Eternals, though only the character’s voice is heard. Blade is heard recruiting Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman to be the future Black Knight. Immediately, fans began theorizing about potential team-up movies, suggesting that Marvel was building up to a Midnight Sons crossover. However, it wasn’t long after this that things began to fall apart. In 2022, it was announced that Tariq had left the film and that the script would undergo heavy rewrites. This seemed to confirm rumors that Mahershala Ali had been very dissatisfied with the initial script that Marvel delivered. Various unconfirmed reports suggested that the initial script included very minimal action and focused on a supporting character more than Blade himself. Whether or not any of these rumors were true, Blade became infamous in the Marvel fandom from this point on.

2022 And 2023 Saw Numerous Delays And Two Complete Rewrites

Yann Demange joined Blade in November of 2022, replacing Bassam Tariq as director. With Demange’s boarding the project, Marvel chose to rewrite the film from the ground up with Michael Starrbury joining as Blade‘s new screenwriter. Shortly thereafter, the film was pushed back almost a year, with a new release date of September 6, 2024. Things seemed to go much better for Blade in the following months, with Mia Goth announced to be cast in an undisclosed role in 2023, but even this wasn’t to last. Marvel brought in yet another writer, Nic Pizzolatto, to help punch up the script–just in time for the writers’ strike to shut everything down indefinitely. With Hollywood effectively shut down for months, Blade was pushed back five months to February 14, 2025.

By the time of Blade‘soriginal release date in November 2023, the film hadn’t even begun production yet. Even more disappointing, it was around that time that it was announced that the film would undergo yet another total rewrite, beginning from scratch a second time. Michael Green, who worked on the hit 2017 film Logan, signed on to rewrite the script. This new version of the movie was confirmed to be rated R, winning over some fans who worried that Marvel Studios would soften the character for the big screen. Though things were looking up for the film, Marvel pushed Blade‘s release back another nine months to November 7, 2025, two full years after the date originally announced, officially making it a part of Phase 6.

2024 Has Seen Continuing Delays In The Blade Reboot

At this point, Blade became a public spectacle unlike any other, with rumors circulating that Marvel was in danger of losing Mahershala Ali if they couldn’t get the film’s production off the ground soon. Even stars from the original Blade trilogy started taking shots at the reboot. Deacon Frost actor Stephen Dorff suggested that the reboot would never work without director Stephen Norrington, stirring up a debate in the Marvel fandom that certainly didn’t help public opinion regarding the film. Dorff went on to tease Marvel for being unable to keep a director. Unfortunately, the actor’s comments proved prophetic, with Yann Demange’s departure in June 2024. With Demange’s departure, it was also announced that the script was still in the writing process, with Eric Pearson joining the project. Demange is the second director to leave the project and has yet to be replaced.

With complete chaos surrounding Blade‘s production, even original star Wesley Snipes can’t help but make fun of the film. After the announcement that Demange had left the reboot, Snipes Tweeted about the news, joking that “Daywalkers make it look easy.”

Is Blade In Danger Of Cancellation?

It Seems As Though Marvel Intends To Move Forward With The Blade Reboot

With so many delays and production setbacks, some Marvel fans have begun to fear that the film will be canceled altogether. However, Marvel remains committed to releasing the film. Blade received a positive update shortly after Demange’s exit, claiming that the script would be completed over the summer before Marvel began shopping around for directors.

Marvel Studios hasn’t given up on the film, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t more difficulties awaiting Blade shortly. With the current release date rapidly approaching, fans should expect to see another delay shortly, perhaps pushing Blade as far back as 2026. The most pressing matter, however, is that of Mahershala Ali. A massively successful actor with two Academy Awards under his belt, Ali may not be willing to stick around for much longer if Marvel can’t get its act together. Blade may be in danger of losing its main actor, who is one of the main draws for fans of the character. Losing Ali would be the worst-case scenario for the Phase 6 film, which must finally get off the ground if it wants to keep its main actor.

Blade hasn’t had an easy pre-production phase, though Marvel seems hopeful to finally begin filming at some point this year. Nevertheless, with another delay imminent, fans are left to wonder when they will finally see the MCU film if it ever is released at all.