Mahershala Ali Gives Unfortunate Update On MCU ‘Blade' Delay
A Blade movie starring Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali seemed like as much of a slam dunk as anything in the MCU. But after delays and departures and tests of the star's patience, it still seems to be nowhere.
Six years after Ali was brought out on stage at San Diego Comic-Con to announce his role in a Blade film, the actor has given an update that suggests the movie remains stuck, despite him still being up for playing the part.
Ali is now starring in Jurassic World Rebirth and was asked on the red carpet a few times about Blade:
'Call Marvel,' he told Variety. 'I'm ready. Let them know I'm ready.'
'I would love for it to happen, we'll see, I don't know where Marvel is at right now,' he told THR.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 13: Actor Mahershala Ali attends the 11th Hamilton Behind The ... More Camera Awards at Avalon Hollywood & Bardot on November 13, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/FilmMagic)
The fact that the star does not appear to be looped into whatever is going on with the film is not promising. Blade is not slated for any release date, and the film has now lost two directors since 2022. Years ago, the movie was supposed to be out in November 2023. Then it was pushed to November 2025. Now it's been pushed off a cliff, seemingly.
Another bit of news was made this week with writer of the original Blade, David S. Goyer commented on the delay, even saying he tried to help Marvel out himself, but was rebuffed.
"In my mind, I think Blade is a relatively simple story," Goyer said on Happy Sad Confused. "It's not complicated. And I always think when you embark on a movie like this, you have to distill down what is the promise of the movie."
"It should have insane ass-kicking," he said. "It should be pretty scary. Might be R-rated. And it doesn't have to be, it should not be complicated."
Blade
And speaking to Variety:
'I had my agent call Marvel and say, 'Do you guys need any help?' And they said, 'We love you, but we think we've cracked it now, and we're in a good place.' And then the latest thing happened. And so no, they haven't contacted me.'
Goyer was a writer on all three Wesley Snipes Blade films and directed Trinity. The first being released in 1998, the modern superhero landscape owes a lot to those films, as that was pre-Spider-Man, even pre-X-Men, and way, way predating the MCU that can now not figure out how to make this work despite a 'simple story' and an Oscar-winner waiting for them to get it together. It seems like they never will at this point.
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