Why Did Marvel's Blade Reboot Face So Many Production Challenges? Explained

Marvel's Blade reboot faces setbacks as directors exit and release dates shift. Almost set in the 1920s, now aiming for a 2025 launch without Ali filming yet.

By Shovan Roy

Published on Jun 21, 2024 | 09:55 PM IST | 25.9K

Marvel's Blade (Image via IMDb)

When Mahershala Ali triumphantly took to the stage at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 things looked promising. Moonlight star confirmed he would be coming out as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Blade during Marvel Studios’ presentation which set the hype machine running immediately. Since then, however, the project has taken a decidedly anticlimactic turn.

Director departures and delays

In June of this year, Yann Demange left due to the seeming curse of Blade reboot. The director signed onto the movie project on November 17, 2022. This was three months after Bassam Tariq had exited from it because of the continuous shift of the production schedule.

Blade was scheduled for a November 23, 2023 release when Tariq departed from it. Then Marvel Studios changed that date to September 6, 2024. But after Demange left, its premiere is now scheduled for November 6, 2025. These changes show how difficult it can be for Marvel to make sure that their fans get what they want on time.

The almost there Blade of the twenties

The journey for Marvel Studios’ Blade has been distinct and tumultuous. At one point Ali nearly gave up on the film entirely; an action which could have been disastrous. In between times, Ali has joined the new Jurassic World movie; a decision that signifies ongoing problems with Blade.

As his representative, Shelby Weiser told Hollywood reporter “That ['Blade'] deal was in 2019, and they still haven't shot it, which is pretty much the craziest thing in my professional experience.”

However, despite these setbacks, Marvel Studios is making efforts towards starting production as soon as possible. They had planned a version of Blade which would shoot in 2023 based in the twenties therefore going back in time by almost a century. This one would have Mia Goth starring as a vampire villainess called Lilith, who was hunting for the blood of Blade’s daughter.

For instance, while Goth is still attached to movies, it will no longer be set in the ’20s. Moreover, according to The Hollywood Reporter, there was a huge train set made by Marvel Studios for this version that might find its way into some other Disney film.

A missed opportunity

This latest news about Blade set in the 1920s came after one from The Illuminerdi last year which reported exclusive script details with a 1920s setting. This early 20th-century Blade could have shown European vampires as well as scenes from different periods aside from the 1920s.

His comic book origins depict him being born in a London brothel in 1929 after his mother was bitten by a vampire doctor. Therefore such an origin tale would have traced the character through subsequent decades up until now.

Setting the film in the 1920s would have been unique and justified the rebooting of such a character. Additionally, especially against those dark streets of 1920s London would have fit perfectly with Blade’s horror aesthetic appeal that centers on action films. On the downside, however, is that fans will never get to watch this interesting copy since the current film places it in modern times instead.

Going back to Blade on the big screen is still a worthwhile venture. Batman gets reborn every ten years, why not the Daywalker? The 1920s would have been great because it would have differentiated Blade from Wesley Snipes’ iconic portrayal.

So now we just sit here waiting for Ali to get done with his Jurassic movie and Marvel to slimline their releases, only hoping that Blade will be as resilient as its day-walking hero.

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