“What did one blade of grass say to the other? ‘Without a director, it’s really hard to make dew.’” That’s one of the reasons why Disney decided to push back production on the upcoming Marvel film Blade after losing its original director, Bassam Tariq, and booking Yann Demange to replace him. The film is fighting other demons, though. On March 16, Aaron Pierre confirmed to Variety that he is no longer in the cast of the upcoming movie. “As the project evolved, I’m no longer part of that — attached,” he said. According to a Variety report published in November 2023, the upcoming film has been plagued by script changes and a lack of creative direction, with one version of the film deigning to morph into a narrative that sidelines its main draw, the double Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali. In that script multiverse, Ali would be the fourth lead in a story “led by women and filled with life lessons.” Demange did confirm in an interview that the film will be given an R-rating. Here’s everything we know so far.
What’s going on with Blade?
In December 2023, Ali told EW that he was “sincerely encouraged in terms of where things are at and who’s on board and who’s leading the way as far as the writing of the script and the directing and all that.” Marvel previously hired Logan screenwriter Michael Green to steer the ship amid reports that Ali would drop the project over script issues. Green took over from Emmy-nominated writer Michael Starrbury and at least three other screenwriters. The studio booked Demange as director in November 2022, when the project had already been on pause for a while. Last we heard, Marvel plans to produce the movie for a paltry $100 million, making it an attempt to reign in quarter-billion dollar budgets that require massive box office return — an indie film (Marvel’s Version).
Marvel previously said that director Bassam Tariq’s removal was due to production issues, not artistic differences. “Due to continued shifts in our production schedule, Bassam is no longer moving forward as director of Blade but will remain an executive producer on the film,” Marvel stated to THR on September 27, 2022. “We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.” Tariq released his own statement, calling it an “honor” to work with Marvel on the film.
Who’s (still) in the cast?
Mahershala Ali will star as the titular vampire hunter also known as the Daywalker, taking up the mantle after Wesley Snipes first played the role. Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Delroy Lindo were previously also announced as Blade cast members, though their characters were not confirmed. Pierre has now left the project.
When is it coming out?
Blade was scheduled to begin production in November 2022 with a November 3, 2023, release date. But with the new team on board to start, Disney had no choice but to give them a little bit more time. The film is now slated to release on November 7, 2025. The new date pushes the project into the phase six Marvel plans.
The film was announced in 2019 as part of Marvel: Phase Four and reportedly went through a number of revisions; Beau DeMayo allegedly tapped in for rewrites of Stacy Osei-Kuffour’s script. Ali as Blade made a brief appearance in the post-credits scene of Eternals, solidifying his place in the MCU as the character earlier than expected. Turns out there are worse things out tonight than vampires: production delays and Kevin Feige–led mismanagement.
This post has been updated throughout.
