Mahershala Ali, the two-time Academy Award winner, has made it clear that he is ready for the Blade reboot, but Marvel Studios continues to face obstacles delaying the production. The reboot, which was first confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, has been pulled from Marvel’s release schedule for months, leaving fans and the industry questioning when progress will resume on this highly anticipated film.
Ongoing Setbacks and Delays Plague the Blade Production
Initially intended as a major feature of Marvel’s Phase 5, Blade was once slated for a November 2023 release, with filming expected to begin in Atlanta in October 2022. However, the project has suffered from several setbacks, including the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes, which halted pre-production. Just days before filming, original director Bassam Tariq had to step down due to scheduling conflicts, leading to Yann Demange taking his place—only for Demange to also depart the project in June 2024. As a result, the planned release date of November 7, 2025, was first delayed and then completely removed from Marvel’s schedule. These persistent delays impacted not just Blade, but prompted Marvel Studios to shift the premiere dates of other movies across the board.
Star’s Continued Commitment Amid Uncertainty
Despite the tumult behind the scenes, Mahershala Ali himself has expressed ongoing enthusiasm for the role of Eric Brooks, known to fans as Blade. At the Jurassic World Rebirth premiere, he reiterated his readiness, urging fans and Marvel executives to take action.
“Call Marvel. I’m ready. Let them know I’m ready.”
—Mahershala Ali, Actor
Ali’s determination to see the project through comes even as Marvel has yet to solidify a new director, leaving production plans in limbo. The pressure is now on Kevin Feige and the studio to chart a way forward and deliver on the ambitious reboot announced five years ago.
Changing Cast and Crew: Who Remains on Blade?
Since the departure of director Yann Demange, Marvel Studios has not named a successor. Writers Michael Green and Eric Pearson remain attached, but the project continues to see cast changes. Mia Goth, John West Jr., and Milan Ray are still on board to join Mahershala Ali, while Aaron Pierre, originally cast in an unspecified role, exited in 2024, possibly due to involvement in DC’s Lanterns. Delroy Lindo, who joined the cast in 2021, also left, citing his view that the film had strayed off course. Wesley Snipes, who played Blade in earlier films, recently returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe—though as his original Blade character alongside Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine, not within Ali’s reboot continuity.
Marvel Studios Remains Silent on Blade’s Future
The future of the Blade reboot remains unclear. With no replacement director named and the film off the active release calendar, Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige have yet to signal when production might resume or provide new release information. Blade fans and industry watchers continue to look for updates, as key talent like Mahershala Ali stand ready to move forward when the studio resolves its ongoing issues.
How Marvel will address the repeated setbacks to the Blade reboot, and whether the studio can align its resources to finally begin filming, remains a question that will shape not only this project but the broader Marvel slate in the coming years.
