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Marvel reportedly axe plans for ‘Blade’

Mon 31 March 2025 11:06, UK

Marvel has reportedly axed plans for Blade, owing to a range of technical issues in the six years since it was announced that the movie was in development.

The film, which had been set to star Moonlight actor Mahershala Ali, was fraught with problems throughout its production, from pandemic delays to the 2023 writers’ strike. However, what has ultimately brought the project to an end is a plethora of script issues which numerous writers have unsuccessfully attempted to save, according to The Playlist‘s Rodrigo Perez.

Although Blade will now not likely appear as its own film, Ali will nevertheless bring the character to the screen as a supporting role in other Marvel efforts, possibly the upcoming Midnight Sun or Avengers: Secret Wars.

Blade, the vampire-hunting superhero, had been subject to its own trilogy of films in the past starring Wesley Snipes in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but attempts to bring the character into the fold of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have seemingly failed to materialise.

Ali appeared as Blade with an uncredited vocal role in the 2021 film Eternals, followed up Snipes making a cameo in the 2024 blockbuster Deadpool and Wolverine, but since it was announced that the character would have his own resurgence at the 2019 ComicCon, various writers, directors, and cast have all walked from the project.

Stars including Aaron Pierre and Delroy Lindo had been signed on to make the film but parted ways due to the various issues, and Mia Goth had been attached to play the lead antagonist character Lilith, who is seeking the blood of Blade’s daughter.

Elsewhere, Marvel are set to continue churning out movies into its cinematic universe, with Thunderbolts, Ironheart, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps all set for release this summer.

Chris Hemsworth and Vanessa Kirby were also recently announced to star in the upcoming 2026 blockbuster Avengers: Doomsday.