Mahershala Ali's Blade Film Project Appears to Be Canceled

The much-anticipated Blade movie, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, seems to have reached a dead end. After facing numerous hurdles, the project has officially stalled, leaving fans without the chance to see Mahershala Ali take on the iconic role of the Daywalker. This setback is considered one of the most significant disappointments in the MCU's history.

Rapper and artist Flying Lotus recently confirmed on X / Twitter that the project is no longer viable. He revealed his involvement in writing music for the film before it fell through. "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. He expressed doubts about its revival but noted it would have been a fun project.

Adding to the disappointment, costume designer Ruth E. Carter, during an appearance on The John Campea Show, shared that she was set to work on Blade's costumes before production collapsed. She mentioned the film was to be set in the 1920s, promising unique and exciting costume and production designs.

Further compounding the project's woes, actor Delroy Lindo, who was set to star alongside Ali, discussed the film's demise with Entertainment Weekly. He recounted how Marvel initially seemed eager to include his input and described the project as exciting both conceptually and for his character's development. However, he noted that it "just went off the rails" for unknown reasons.

Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with a planned release in November of the current year. The film has seen several directors come and go, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, but none have stayed on to complete 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, with no new release date announced. However, a month after its removal, MCU boss Kevin Feige reiterated 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."