You’d think making a movie about a badass vampire hunter who slices through bloodsuckers with a katana would be a no-brainer, right? Well, leave it to Marvel Studios to turn something as straightforward as “cool guy kills vampires” into an ongoing disaster. Yep, the long-awaited Blade reboot has been sent back to the chopping block. Again. The movie that should have been an easy win for Marvel has now been yanked from its 2025 release schedule—after years of production drama, delays, and director dropouts. At this point, the Daywalker might never see the light of day.
The latest nail in the coffin? As of October 22nd, Blade has officially been replaced on the 2025 lineup by Predator: Badlands. That’s right—Marvel’s struggling to get its vampire hunter off the ground, but hey, at least we’ll get more Predator. The fact that Marvel’s signature superhero universe can’t seem to pull off a Blade movie, even with Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali attached, speaks volumes about the current state of the MCU. And no, Marvel hasn’t offered any comment on this latest disaster. Surprise, surprise.
The Blade reboot intended for the MCU might no longer be happening. After being announced in 2019, the film was originally scheduled to be released in 2022. Due to many delays, the date was gradually pushed to 2025, though that release has been quietly removed from the MCU… pic.twitter.com/qJXv2XHOvu
— Digg (@digg) October 23, 2024
Let’s be real: This Blade movie has been a mess from the get-go. Announced all the way back in 2019 at San Diego Comic-Con, the project has been stuck in development hell ever since. First, they hired Mogul Mowgli director Bassam Tariq, but he jumped ship just a year later due to Marvel’s famously chaotic production schedule. Then, they brought in Lovecraft Country director Yann Demange, only to have him quit in 2024. When two directors in a row peace out, it’s a red flag—just sayin’.
The Blade reboot with Mahershala Ali has been delayed indefinitely https://t.co/Z2OZSeeOL8 pic.twitter.com/Kty6fYOMGB
— celebitchy (@celebitchy) October 24, 2024
Oh, and don’t even get me started on the script revisions. Six rewrites? Six. And why? Because apparently, Marvel couldn’t figure out whether to focus on Blade or his daughter, which, if true, proves they were ready to bury the guy before he even made it to the screen. It’s one thing to be ambitious, but it’s another to completely miss the point. Newsflash: We want Blade, not his offspring.
Let’s not forget that this film has been delayed three times already. It’s hard to imagine how it could get any worse, but apparently, Kevin Feige—yes, the mastermind behind Marvel’s golden era—was reportedly so fed up with the project that he blew his top over how bad the movie was shaping up. If Kevin Feige is yelling, you know things are ugly.
And then there’s the cherry on top: Mahershala Ali’s attorney publicly complained that Ali’s contract was closed in 2019, and here we are in 2024 with zero film in sight. For an actor of Ali’s caliber to sign on for a project and still be sitting on his hands five years later is just embarrassing.
At this point, it’s hard to believe this movie will ever get made. The original Blade himself, Wesley Snipes, had it right: “There’s only one Blade. There’s only ever gonna be one Blade.” Maybe Marvel should take the hint and leave well enough alone.