Six years after the announcement of the iconic hero ‘Blade’ entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the film is still nowhere to be seen. Despite Oscar winner Mahershala Ali announcing at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) that he would play the role, the project is facing several issues.
Mia Goth recently responded to the delay. Mia Goth, who joins the reboot in April 2023, was asked about the progress of the film in an interview with ‘Elle’ magazine and the magazine said, “She has no new update on the production issues.” But Goth is confident, “It’s good they’re taking their time. They want to get it right.”
Blade in production trouble
The production of Blade is in a mess.
- Director exits: Bassam Tariq was initially hired to direct the film but he dropped out on September 27, 2022 due to constant changes in the production schedule. His replacement, Yann Demange, also dropped out on June 12, 2024. Now the film has no director.
- Script changes: According to ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, several versions of the script were made during the development of the film. The report says Mia Goth was supposed to play a vampire villain named ‘Lilith’ who wants to drink the blood of Blade’s daughter.
- Storyline Change: The reboot was supposed to be set in the 1920s but according to the latest info, the plot has been changed to take place in the present day.
Cast Status
While Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre were part of the film earlier, it’s clear now that only Mahershala Ali and Mia Goth are still on board. Mahershala Ali was credited in the end scene of 2021’s ‘Eternals’ but has not appeared on screen in a live-action MCU film yet.
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Release UncertaintyThe MCU multiverse is in Phase 6. This phase has films like ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’. Since ‘Blade’ is still in production, it’s not clear if Mahershala Ali will appear as Blade in the 2026 or 2027 films. The film has no director and will probably be in Phase 7 if it moves forward. Given that situation, Marvel has not announced a new release date for ‘Blade’.
Conclusion
Overall, while Mia Goth confirmed the delays and problems in the production of ‘Blade’, her confidence that Marvel won’t compromise on quality is a bit of a relief for fans. Given the expectations on Blade and Mahershala Ali’s performance, Marvel is not wrong in wanting to get this one right.