The writer behind the iconic Wesley Snipes Blade trilogy, David S. Goyer, has expressed his readiness to assist Marvel chief Kevin Feige in reviving the Mahershala Ali-led MCU reboot of Blade. The project, once a promising addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has encountered numerous hurdles and now appears to be indefinitely stalled.
Recent developments have shed light on the project's uncertain future. Rapper and artist Flying Lotus, who was set to compose the music for the film, recently took to X / Twitter to confirm that the project has been shelved. "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 on Shudder, expressed doubts about its revival but noted it would have been an exciting project.
Just a day before Flying Lotus' tweet, acclaimed costume designer Ruth E. Carter revealed on The John Campea Show that she was slated to design costumes for Blade, which was intended to be set in the 1920s. This setting would have provided a unique opportunity for innovative costume and production design.
Actor Delroy Lindo, who was briefly attached to star alongside Mahershala Ali, shared his disappointment with Entertainment Weekly. Lindo highlighted how Marvel initially seemed eager for his input and described the project as exciting both conceptually and in terms of character development. However, he noted that "for whatever reason, it just went off the rails."
Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with a planned release for November of the current year. The film has seen a carousel of directors, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, none of whom ultimately stayed with the project.
In a recent interview with ScreenRant, David S. Goyer expressed his confusion and eagerness to contribute to the reboot. "I would," he stated when asked about writing the new Blade film. "I’ve always loved the character and I love him. I’ve been sitting on the sidelines wondering, ‘What in the world is going on? Why is it taking so long?’ Because I’m a huge Marvel fan myself, and I’ve just been totally puzzled."
Despite being removed from Marvel's release schedule seven months ago, Kevin Feige reiterated the studio's commitment to the project in an interview with Omelete in November 2024. "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," Feige assured. "But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."
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Meanwhile, the MCU film Deadpool & Wolverine, which featured Wesley Snipes reprising his role as Blade in a cameo, was a massive success, grossing $1.3 billion globally. Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds has advocated for Snipes' Blade to receive a farewell film similar to Hugh Jackman's Logan. Reynolds credited the original Blade films with paving the way for the superhero genre, stating on X/Twitter, "There is no Fox Marvel Universe or MCU without Blade first creating a market. He’s Marvel Daddy. Please retweet for a Logan-like send-off."
In addition to his advocacy for Blade, Reynolds is reportedly in the early stages of developing a Deadpool and X-Men ensemble film, as reported by THR. This project would feature Deadpool sharing the spotlight with three or four other X-Men characters, who would take center stage and be "used in unexpected ways."
