It seems as though the highly-anticipated Blade movie has finally run out of steam. The once-upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film has encountered numerous obstacles over the years, and it now appears the project has stalled indefinitely, dashing hopes that it will resume. The most significant loss may be the absence of Mahershala Ali portraying the iconic Daywalker.
Rapper and artist Flying Lotus took to X / Twitter this week to discuss his involvement in the project, revealing that Blade is, unfortunately, no more. "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," said the DJ, who recently directed Shudder’s new sci-fi horror ASH. "Maybe it'll come around again but I doubt it. Would have been fun tho."
The day before Flying Lotus’ tweet, costume designer Ruth E. Carter confirmed during an appearance on The John Campea Show that she was set to design costumes for Blade before the production collapsed. Adding to the disappointment, the film was supposed to be set in the 1920s, which would have offered an exciting backdrop for unique costume and production design.
Compounding the series of setbacks, actor Delroy Lindo, who was also attached to star alongside Ali, opened up about the project's demise just days before Carter's revelation. "When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," he told *Entertainment Weekly*. "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, and if everything had gone according to plan, fans would have been eagerly awaiting its release this November. The project has seen multiple directors come and go, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, but none have stayed on to see the film through.
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Despite the turmoil surrounding this adaptation, it's only been 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 the film was pulled, MCU boss Kevin Feige reaffirmed 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 stated in an interview with Omelete in November 2024. "But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."
