Mahershala Ali's Blade Movie Project Appears to Be Dead

The much-anticipated Blade movie, set to be a thrilling addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has unfortunately hit a dead end. After years of facing numerous challenges, the project has seemingly come to a standstill, dashing hopes of seeing Mahershala Ali bring the iconic Daywalker to life, which many consider a significant loss for the MCU.

Rapper and artist Flying Lotus recently took to X / Twitter to share insights about his involvement in the project, inadvertently confirming its cancellation. "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," said the DJ, who also directed the new sci-fi horror film ASH on Shudder. He expressed doubts about the project's revival, stating, "Maybe it'll come around again but I doubt it. Would have been fun tho."

Adding to the series of disappointing updates, costume designer Ruth E. Carter revealed on The John Campea Show that she was set to design costumes for Blade before the production collapsed. Carter highlighted that the film was intended to be set in the 1920s, a setting that promised unique and exciting opportunities for both costume and production design.

Actor Delroy Lindo, who was also cast to star alongside Mahershala Ali, shared his experience with the project in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Lindo recounted how Marvel initially sought his input and promised an inclusive approach to the film's development. "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," he lamented.

Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with an intended release this coming November had everything gone according to plan. The film has seen multiple 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 yet. However, a month after the film was dropped from the calendar, MCU boss Kevin Feige reaffirmed the studio's commitment to the project. In an interview with Omelete in November 2024, Feige stated, "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. But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."