Mahershala Ali's Blade Movie Reportedly Dead

The highly anticipated Blade movie has seemingly lost all momentum, leaving fans disappointed and the project in limbo. The Marvel Cinematic Universe film, which was set to feature Mahershala Ali as the iconic Daywalker, has encountered numerous obstacles over the years, and it now appears that the film may never see the light of day.

Rapper and artist Flying Lotus recently took to X / Twitter to share his involvement in the project, revealing that he was set to compose 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," the DJ, who recently directed Shudder's new sci-fi horror ASH, stated. "Maybe it'll come around again but I doubt it. Would have been fun tho."

Just a day before Flying Lotus' tweet, costume designer Ruth E. Carter confirmed on The John Campea Show that she was tasked with designing costumes for Blade before the project collapsed. Carter also revealed that the film was intended to be set in the 1920s, promising unique and captivating costume and production design.

Adding to the series of unfortunate updates, actor Delroy Lindo, who was set to star alongside Ali, shared his experience with the project's demise. "When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," he told Entertainment Weekly. "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."

Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with an initial release planned for November of this year. However, the film has seen a revolving door of directors, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, none of whom have stayed on to see the project through.

Despite the film being removed from Marvel's release schedule in October 2024, MCU boss Kevin Feige remains optimistic about bringing Blade to the MCU. "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 stated in an interview with Omelete in November 2024. "But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."

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View 18 ImagesWith the numerous challenges faced by the Blade adaptation, it's hard to believe it's been just six months since its removal from the release schedule, and no new date has been set. Nonetheless, Feige's commitment offers a glimmer of hope for fans eager to see Mahershala Ali take on the role of Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.