The much-anticipated Blade movie appears to have finally run out of steam. The Marvel Cinematic Universe project, which was set to feature Mahershala Ali as the iconic Daywalker, has encountered numerous hurdles over the years and now seems to be indefinitely stalled. This news is particularly disappointing for fans who were eager to see Ali in the role.
This week, rapper and artist Flying Lotus, known for his work on Shudder's ASH, took to X / Twitter to share his involvement with the project. He revealed that he was signed on to compose the 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. "Maybe it'll come around again but I doubt it. Would have been fun tho."
Just a day before Flying Lotus' tweet, costume designer Ruth E. Carter, known for her work on Sinners, appeared on The John Campea Show and confirmed that she was set to design costumes for Blade before the project collapsed. She also mentioned that the film was intended to be set in the 1920s, which would have provided a unique backdrop and some stunning costume and production designs.
Adding to the string of unfortunate updates, actor Delroy Lindo, who was also set to star in the film alongside Ali, shared his experience with Entertainment Weekly. "When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," he said. "And in the various conversations I had with producers, the writer, the director at the time, it was all leading into being very inclusive. It was really exciting conceptually, but it was also exciting in terms of the character that was going to form. And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails."
Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with an intended release date in November of the following year. However, the project has seen multiple directors come and go, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, without any sticking.
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Despite the turmoil surrounding Blade, it's been only six months since the film was removed from Marvel's release schedule in October 2024, with no new release date set. However, a month after the film was pulled, MCU boss Kevin Feige reassured fans during an interview with Omelete in November 2024, stating, "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. But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."
