Marvel Cancels Blade Reboot Off Schedule

Bob Iger, Disney’s top executive, recently talked to investors about the company’s 2025 slate of movies, and Blade was pointedly excluded from the list of Marvel movies coming out. While this exclusion could be written off as a slip of the tongue, it was preceded by reports that the movie was stuck “in a limbo state.” While no official announcement has been made, it seems more and more likely that the movie will be moved back again or cancelled altogether. 

Originally announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, Blade has become notorious as Marvel’s most troubled production. Some of those problems came from the outside, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the writer’s strike. However, pre-production has also been hindered by issues with the script, with Eric Pearson being the sixth writer hired to finish the script. 

The troubled scripting process on Blade has also caused Marvel to lose talent attached to the project. Directors Yan Demange and Bassam Tariq were both attached to the movie at different times, but both dropped the project, leaving it without a director. Actors Aaron Pierre and Delroy Lindo have also left the troubled production. 

While it’s disappointing to see Marvel continuing to drop the ball with Blade, it’s not surprising to see it removed from the release schedule. Earlier this year, Disney announced plans to cut back on the number of MCU movies released to two or three a year to improve their quality. With four movies on the schedule for 2025, many fans suspected the vampire movie would be cut, and Iger’s comments seem to support that theory. 

Blade, coming out in 2025, is off the table, and many are now questioning if Marvel will abandon the movie altogether. Stars Mahershala Ali and Mia Goth are still attached to the project, but with no director and no finished script, the movie may die in development hell. It doesn’t look good, but until an official announcement is made, fans can only speculate about the movie’s fate. 

While Blade is the biggest disaster for Marvel, the 2020s have been lean times for Disney’s flagship superhero franchise. Disappointing box office returns for movies like The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, along with poor fan reception, have stopped the blockbuster juggernaut in its tracks. With so many problems, many believe the MCU’s reign is coming to an end, with Deadpool & Wolverine breaking the curve for this latest phase.

There was genuine excitement when Mahershla Ali was cast as Blade, but that positive energy has been squandered, and the movie has become a sign of the franchise’s decline. The vampire hunter’s reboot may not be coming in 2025, but it could still be a big year for Marvel with Fantastic Four: First Steps, Captain America: Brave New World, and Thunderbolts all still on schedule. It seems the MCU will be marching on without its signature day walker for at least another year. 

Source: Walt Disney Company