The Blade reboot has not had an easy run. With the film not having been on the silver screen since the popular Wesley Snipes trilogy ended in 2004, fans were thrilled at the prospect of the character re-appearing in the MCU when it was announced at San Diego Comic-Con back in 2019. However, the reboot has faced multiple obstacles, and with the film being delayed time and time again, the excitement of fans slowly dwindled.

However, new information regarding the movie has slowly been trickling in, confirming that Marvel has not scrapped the project altogether. It was previously confirmed that Blade would be released in November 2023. The release date was then pushed back, with the film having lost its director. At the time of writing, the film is still in its very early stages, with production not yet started. Though details are scarce, here is everything we know for now about the new Blade film.

Updated November 3, 2023: Today marks what would have been the original release date for the MCU's Blade. In honor of that, this article has been updated with information about the film and all the delays the film has had.

The History of the Blade Franchise

Blade was a bit of a surprise hit when it was released in 1998; comic book movies were still something of a rarity at the time, and popular ones even more so. With the exception of Tim Burton's Batman movies that tailed off with Joel Schumacher at the helm, the 90s was home to comic book duds like Albert Pyun's Captain America and the Spawn movie.

Separating from campy costumes and making Blade an R-rated vampire flick was a big risk for the studio, but it paid off. The movie also spawned sequels: 2002's Blade II directed by Guillermo del Toro, and 2004's Blade Trinity by David. S. Goyer, which wrapped up the franchise on the big screen before being followed up by a short-lived television series in 2006. There was talk of a Blade prequel in 2009 as the MCU started to gather steam, and when that fell through, the series star Wesley Snipes also tried to throw his weight behind a Blade 4, but both ideas ultimately went nowhere.

In 2012, Disney and Marvel Studios acquired the rights from Blade back from New Line Cinema. The character, along with characters like The Punisher, Luke Cage, and Ghost Rider, was given over to Marvel Television as they were needed to build up that part of the company as higher-up executives at Marvel thought that Kevin Feige's plate was too full with the Avengers characters and Guardians of the Galaxy. While those others made it to television, Blade did not. Then, in 2019, at San Diego Comic-Con, Kevin Feige officially announced that a Blade reboot was in the works for the MCU.

Marvel's Blade: The Plot

Similarly to other information regarding the film, details regarding the plot of Blade remain scarce. Marvel will most likely release more definite details regarding the storyline of the movie as the film gets closer to production.

If the film does decide to go by the comic book origin story of the character, fans will get to see how 'Blade', or Eric Brooks, came to be. Blade's mother gives birth to him after being attacked by a vampire while pregnant. As a result, Eric is born a hybrid, half-human, and half-vampire, giving him unique abilities. Going by 'Blade', he then begins to put his talents to use hunting other vampires. The film can also choose to explore Eric's story as an established vampire hunter. This will also give Marvel a chance to set a story for where Blade has been thus far in the MCU.

However, we can never be too sure where the film will head. Director Bassam Tariq stated back in 2021 that the Blade film will not be "boxed" in by the comics canon, alluding to the fact that Marvel's Blade may take a different out to the comics. However, Tariq is no longer in the director's seat of the movie.

Budget will also be a major part of influencing the film's plot. Unlike a lot of the other MCU Phase 4 and Phase 5 projects, which have budgets over $200 million, Marvel Studios is reportedly looking to keep Blade at about $100 million. While that certainly is still a lot of money, that smaller budget allows Marvel to take more chances with the movie and possibly explore an R-rating and not need to make as big of a box office opening weekend to be profitable.

Marvel's Blade: The Cast

Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali will take on the titular character of Blade. It is actually Ali who got the project off the ground. After winning his second Academy Award for his role in Green Book, he approached Marvel Studios about wanting to play Blade. The prospect of a two-time Academy Award-winning actor approaching them to play one of their superheroes certainly was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

For quite some time, Ali was the only confirmed name for the movie. However, he is now being joined by a talented group of co-stars. Da 5 Bloods actor Delroy Lindo, The Underground Railroad's Aaron Pierre, and Pearl's Mia Goth will join Ali. However, their roles in Blade have not yet been confirmed.

Fans have also been speculating that Kit Harrington's Dane Whitman might be a part of Blade due to the Eternals post-credits scene. Ali's Blade, in a voice-only cameo, warned Whitman about using the Ebony Blade. As per the comics, the Ebony Blade is able to give the wielder godlike abilities with the negative side effect of increasing the wielder's bloodlust. However, Harrington has confirmed that he will not be a part of Blade, despite the post-credits scene. Speaking at the Superhero Comic Con, Harrington said:

“I was never... I think there was some misunderstanding about whether he was going to be in the Blade movie. He was never meant to be in the Blade movie and isn’t.”

For now, much of what exists regarding Blade's cast, except for the members that have been confirmed, is speculation. Blade, as a character, has a long list of enemies as well as allies, and who the producers may choose to include in the new movie remains uncertain. Characters could range from Deacon Frost, the vampire who killed Blade's mother, to Dracula, Blade's archenemy.

Behind the Scenes Issues

More so than any other MCU project, Blade has had the most trouble behind the scenes. This is odd for a character like Blade since not only has he worked on a film before, but Marvel has adapted relatively harder concepts like Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy to the big screen with no trouble. Yet Blade has had a rotating roster of writers and directors.

In February 2021, Stacy Osei-Kuffor (Watchmen, Pen15) was hired to pen the script. Then, In November 2022, Michael Starrbury (The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete) was brought on board to rewrite the script. In April 2023, it was reported that True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto was penning a draft of the screenplay. In addition, the movie has had a few changes in directors. Originally, Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli) was hired to direct the film back in 2021. Almost a year later, he departed the project and was replaced by Yann Demange (White Boy Rick).

In a recent Variety article, it was reported that Ali was unhappy with many of the scripts, and one even relegated the character of Blade to the fourth lead. Ali reportedly almost always off the project. Starrburry, the second writer on the project, said he never saw a draft where this was accurate, and Blade was in almost every scene of his script.

To keep Ali on board, Kevin Feige ordered a complete rewrite of the script. Michael Green has been hired to pen the script. Green's past credits include Blade Runner 2049, Logan, Jungle Cruise, and all three of Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot.

Release Date

Marvel's Blade was first announced in 2019 with no official release date. Then, it was given a November 3, 2023, release date. The film was then pushed back to September 6, 2024. Blade was delayed once more and will now open in theaters on February 14, 2025. Blade is set to be the final movie of Phase 5 and will be released between Thunderbolts (December 20, 2024) and Fantastic Four (May 2, 2025).

As mentioned, Blade is still in its pre-production stage. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have taken their toll on the film, and, at the time of writing, it is not certain when production for the film will begin. If production is pushed back further, we can expect yet another delay in the movie's release.