.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
It may start seeming like that long-gestating Blade reboot is cursed, as the project has faced one issue after another. After various behind-the-scenes shakeups and other issues which have caused delays, the Blade reboot starring Mahershala Ali was set to finally start filming next month. Per THR, it's now been revealed that production will be shelved with preproduction shutting down immediately, a result of the writers strike. Production will pick back up sometime after the strike is finished.
It was recently reported that True Detective creator Nic Pizzolato had been hired by Marvel Studios to rewrite the movie's script, reuniting with Ali, who starred in True Detective's third season. However, there was not enough time for him to finish a new script before the strike. Meanwhile, production won't be affected on other Marvel projects that had already started filming, such as the theatrical film Captain America: New World Order and the Disney+ shows Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Wonder Man. Meanwhile, there's been no indication of Deadpool 3 shutting down, as it's on track to start filming this month in London, nor has there been any word of yet Thunderbolts halting production in June.
When it comes to Sony's Marvel projects, the plan also still seems to be for Venom 3 to start filming within the coming months. That project was co-written by Tom Hardy and Kelly Marcel, who will also be serving as director for the threequel. Marvel shouldn't have to worry about their planned production start for Fantastic Four until January 2024, as it's presumed the strike will be over before then, though it's hard to say for certain.
Blade Gets Reimagined for the Marvel Cinematic Universe
The new Blade movie comes as a way of getting the vampire slayer into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the reboot unconnected to the previous movies starring Wesley Snipes. Mashershala Ali has made his debut as Blade with a post-credit scene in Eternals, though it was just by hearing his voice, and we haven't yet physically seen him in the role.
Kevin Feige first announced the Blade reboot in 2019, revealing at that time that the plan was for Ali to star. Since then, the film has seen many behind-the-scenes changes, resulting in multiple delays. At one point, Stacy Osei-Kuffour was on board to write the script with Bassam Tariq directing, though both would eventually leave the project. Yann Demange would eventually come to sign on to direct the film once it was finally given a production start date, and last month, Nic Pizzolatto was brought in to pen a new draft of the screenplay. There have been reports of Ali getting "very frustrated" by the constant reworking of the screenplay behind the scenes.
As of now, Blade is scheduled to be released on Sept. 6, 2024. It's not yet clear if the shutdown will cause another release date delay, and that may depend upon just how long the writers strike ends up lasting.