The screenwriter behind Wesley Snipes' Blade trilogy has expressed readiness to assist Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige in reviving Mahershala Ali's stalled MCU reboot. The long-gestating Blade project has encountered multiple development hurdles, leaving its future uncertain.
Recent industry revelations suggest the vampire hunter's return faces significant challenges. Rapper Flying Lotus disclosed on X/Twitter that his involvement scoring the film ended when production collapsed. The musician-director, fresh from helming Shudder's sci-fi horror ASH, remarked: "I was signed on for BLADE before it fell through. Would've been fun, but I doubt it's coming back."
Costume designer Ruth E. Carter (Sinners) confirmed during a podcast appearance she had prepared 1920s-era designs for Blade - a period setting that promised striking visual potential. Meanwhile, actor Delroy Lindo told Entertainment Weekly about creative discussions that initially excited him before the project "went off the rails."
Originally announced at 2019's San Diego Comic-Con with a planned 2023 release, Blade has cycled through multiple directors including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq before being removed from Marvel's schedule seven months ago.
David S. Goyer, writer of all three original Blade films and director of Blade: Trinity, recently told ScreenRant: "I'd return in a heartbeat. As a Marvel fan, I'm completely puzzled by these delays." Despite the setback, Feige maintains the studio remains committed to bringing Blade to the MCU.
The vampire hunter's cultural impact was recently highlighted by Deadpool & Wolverine's $1.3 billion success, which featured Snipes' Blade in a cameo. Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds has championed giving Snipes' iteration a proper farewell, tweeting: "The MCU exists because Blade paved the way. He's Marvel's founding father - he deserves a Logan-style finale."
Reynolds is reportedly developing another X-Men project where Deadpool would support other mutants in unconventional roles, according to industry reports.
The 25 Best Superhero Movies
View 27 Images
