Mahershala Ali's Blade Movie Project Appears to Be Canceled

The much-anticipated Blade movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seemingly reached a dead end. The project, which has faced numerous obstacles over the years, appears to have stalled indefinitely, dashing hopes of seeing Mahershala Ali take on the iconic role of the Daywalker. This development is a significant setback for fans eagerly awaiting the film.

Rapper and artist Flying Lotus took to X / Twitter to confirm the project's demise. "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 the sci-fi horror film ASH for Shudder, expressed his disappointment but remained doubtful about the project's revival. "Maybe it'll come around again but I doubt it. Would have been fun tho."

Adding to the series of unfortunate updates, costume designer Ruth E. Carter revealed on The John Campea Show that she was set to work on Blade before its production collapsed. She mentioned that the film was intended to be set in the 1920s, promising unique and captivating costume and production designs.

Actor Delroy Lindo, who was also attached to the project, shared his insights with Entertainment Weekly about the film's collapse. "When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," he said. Lindo highlighted the inclusive approach and excitement surrounding the character development, which ultimately fell apart. "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 film has seen several directors come and go, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, without any success in moving forward.

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Despite the setbacks, 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 set. However, MCU boss Kevin Feige expressed optimism about the project in a November 2024 interview with Omelete. "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 affirmed. "But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."