Blade is currently being delayed by Marvel as they are trying to find a new director for the project. The film was announced a few years ago as part of the ever-expanding future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it has gotten some hiccups that reflect the current oversaturation of the IP.
The first major blow was when director Bassam Tariq left the project and the script started going through a lot of re-writes. The Hollywood Reporter shared in their article on the subject, “the studio is hoping to restart the production in early 2023.” Now the estimated release date is Sept. 6, 2024. The reason for this two year delay is because they want to, according to THR sources, “get it right.” And there is good reason to do so.
Blade starring Wesley Snipes came out in 1998 and was Marvel’s first successful film. It became a massive box office success despite being rated R and went on to spawn two more financially successful films in the trilogy. Blade has a legacy that is just as important to honor as they did for Spider-Man. Casting Oscar winner Mahershala Ali was already a step in the right direction (and I guess now he joins Michelle Yeoh as an MCU double dipper).
This break is also important because from everything we’ve heard from behind the scenes at Marvel there is a lot of burn out and exhaustion. VFX teams report having a difficult time working on Marvel projects because of the quick turnover and ever-changing deadlines that don’t allow them to finish anything as a reasonable pace. We have seen comic book writers, artists, and film teams get screwed over by these massive companies and as fans we need to support the people who bring these stories to life. It isn’t just the actors or the directors—the sausage gets made with a lot of hands.
I want Blade to be good and I would rather wait for it to figure out its identity that make it another rushed project to get to Phase 6 or whatever we are on now. Stop trying to ice skate uphill.
(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: New Line Cinema)
