Mahershala Ali's Blade Movie: Is It Really Dead?

It seems the highly anticipated Blade movie has officially hit a dead end, draining the life out of what was once an exciting addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After numerous obstacles, the project appears to have stalled completely, leaving fans without the chance to see Mahershala Ali embody the iconic Daywalker—a devastating loss for the MCU.

Rapper and artist Flying Lotus took to X/Twitter to confirm the film's demise, sharing that he had been set to compose the music for the project 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. Flying Lotus, who recently directed Shudder’s sci-fi horror ASH, expressed doubt about the film ever being revived, lamenting the lost opportunity.

Adding to the disappointment, costume designer Ruth E. Carter revealed on The John Campea Show that she had been slated to work on Blade's costumes. The film was to be set in the 1920s, promising an exciting backdrop for unique costume and production designs.

Completing the trifecta of bad news, actor Delroy Lindo, who was also attached to star alongside Ali, shared his perspective on the project's collapse 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 a planned release this November. However, the project cycled through multiple directors, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, none of whom stayed on board.

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View 18 ImagesDespite the setbacks, 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, MCU boss Kevin Feige remains optimistic, emphasizing the studio's commitment to the character. "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."