The much-anticipated Blade movie seems to have hit a dead end, leaving fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe disappointed. The project, which promised to bring Mahershala Ali into the spotlight as the iconic Daywalker, has encountered numerous hurdles and now appears to be indefinitely stalled.
Rapper and artist Flying Lotus recently took to X / Twitter to share his involvement in the project, revealing that he was set to compose music for the film before it fell through. "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," he stated. Flying Lotus, who recently directed Shudder's sci-fi horror film ASH, expressed doubt about the project's revival but noted it would have been an exciting opportunity.
Adding to the disappointment, costume designer Ruth E. Carter, during an appearance on The John Campea Show, confirmed she was lined up to design costumes for Blade, which was set to take place in the 1920s. This unique setting would have offered a visually stunning experience with its period-specific costume and production design.
The setbacks continued as actor Delroy Lindo, who was also attached to star in the film alongside Ali, shared his thoughts on the project's collapse in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," Lindo said. He described the initial enthusiasm and collaborative spirit but lamented that the project "just went off the rails" for unspecified reasons.
Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with hopes of a November release. However, the film has seen a revolving door of directors, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, none of whom stayed with the project. Just six months ago, in October 2024, the movie was removed from Marvel's release schedule, and it has yet to secure a new release date.
Despite the setbacks, MCU boss Kevin Feige remains optimistic. In a November 2024 interview with Omelete, he reaffirmed Marvel's commitment to the Blade 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," Feige stated, promising that the character would eventually make it to the MCU.
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