The highly anticipated Blade movie, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appears to have hit a dead end. Despite years of anticipation and numerous obstacles, the project has stalled, with little hope of revival. This means fans won't see Mahershala Ali don the iconic role of the Daywalker, a significant disappointment for the MCU community.
Rapper and artist Flying Lotus, who was set to write music for the film, recently confirmed on X / Twitter that the project is no longer viable. "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. He expressed doubts about its return, although he acknowledged it would have been a fun project.
Just a day before Flying Lotus' announcement, costume designer Ruth E. Carter revealed on The John Campea Show that she was involved in designing costumes for Blade before the production collapsed. She highlighted that the film was intended to be set in the 1920s, a setting that would have offered a unique and exciting design opportunity.
Adding to the series of setbacks, actor Delroy Lindo, who was slated to star alongside Ali, shared his experience with Entertainment Weekly. He noted that Marvel initially seemed eager to incorporate his input, and the project was promising both conceptually and in terms of character development. However, it ultimately "went off the rails."
Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, and if everything had gone according to plan, fans would have seen the film this November. The project has seen multiple directors come and go, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, but none have stayed with the film.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show
View 18 Images
Despite the turmoil, it's been only six months since Blade was removed from Marvel's release schedule in October 2024, and no new release date has been confirmed. However, a month after its removal, MCU head Kevin Feige reiterated the studio's commitment to the 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," he told Omelete in November 2024. "But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."
