Mahershala Ali's Blade Movie Project Appears Dead

The much-anticipated Blade movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe appears to have hit a dead end. After facing numerous hurdles, the project seems to have officially stalled, dashing hopes of seeing Mahershala Ali portray the iconic Daywalker. This development might be the most significant setback in the MCU's recent history.

This week, rapper and artist Flying Lotus shared insights on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) about his involvement in the project. He revealed that he was set to compose music for Blade before the project collapsed. "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 doubts about the project's revival but noted it would have been an exciting opportunity.

Just a day before Flying Lotus's tweet, costume designer Ruth E. Carter, known for her work on Sinners, confirmed on The John Campea Show that she was slated to design costumes for Blade. She revealed that the film was intended to be set in the 1920s, promising unique and visually striking costume and production designs.

Adding to the series of unfortunate updates, actor Delroy Lindo, who was also attached to star alongside Ali, discussed the project's downfall with Entertainment Weekly. Lindo shared that Marvel initially seemed eager to incorporate his input, and the collaborative process was promising. "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," he explained.

Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with an intended release in November of the current year. However, the film has seen multiple directors come and go, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, without any sticking to the project.

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Despite 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, a month after the film was pulled, MCU boss Kevin Feige reaffirmed the studio's commitment to the project. "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."