Mahershala Ali's Blade Movie Reportedly Dead

The highly anticipated Blade movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to have hit a dead end. The project, which faced numerous hurdles, now appears to be indefinitely stalled. This unfortunate development means fans might never see Mahershala Ali portray the iconic Daywalker, a significant disappointment for the MCU community.

This week, rapper and artist Flying Lotus, who was slated to compose the film's music, 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. Lotus, fresh off directing Shudder's sci-fi horror ASH, expressed doubts about the project's revival but noted it would have been an exciting opportunity.

Adding to the string of disappointments, costume designer Ruth E. Carter, during her appearance on The John Campea Show, revealed she was set to work on Blade before the project unraveled. The film was to be set in the 1920s, promising unique and captivating costume and production designs.

Actor Delroy Lindo, who was also cast alongside Ali, shared his experience with the project's collapse. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lindo expressed initial excitement over Marvel's inclusive approach and the character development discussions. "And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails," he lamented.

Blade was initially announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with hopes of a November release. However, the film cycled through multiple directors, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, none of whom stayed on. The project was removed from Marvel's release schedule in October 2024 and has not been rescheduled.

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Despite the setbacks, MCU boss Kevin Feige remains optimistic. A month after the film's removal from the calendar, Feige assured fans in an interview with Omelete in November 2024 that Marvel is still committed to bringing Blade to life. "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 said. "But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."