Back in 2019, the President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige announced at San Diego Comic-Con there would be a reboot of Blade starring actor Mahershala Ali.
The news was a welcome surprise for fans.
The original 1998 film starring Wesley Snipes is seen by many to be the one that laid the groundwork for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to exist. It was Marvel’s first successful film, grossing over $70 million at the U.S. box office. It was proof that there was an audience for films based on comic books. A new movie that introduces Blade to the MCU had a lot of potential.
Fast forward almost seven years later, and nothing has come of it. The MCU version of Blade has missed four release dates and been rewritten more times than anyone can count. Rumors are swirling that the film has been canceled, with Marvel deciding to introduce Ali’s Blade in a movie based on Midnight Suns. Marvel Studios hasn’t addressed the allegations, which is even more worrying.
It’s become one of the most confusing cases of dysfunction Marvel has ever had. Mahershala Ali, and his attorney have questioned why this movie still doesn’t exist.
Why is it so hard for Marvel Studios to make a movie about Blade?
How Did It All Fall Apart?
Since its announcement, Blade has gone through enough changes to make your head spin.
Bassam Tariq was supposed to direct but left due to “scheduling issues.” Yann Demange stepped in, only to depart less than two years later. Every few months, reports surface about potential replacements. Cary Joji Fukunaga was the latest name mentioned, but nothing has been officially confirmed.
Another problem was developing a script. At least six different writers have taken a crack at the screenplay. Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Michael Starrbury, Beau DeMayo, Nic Pizzolatto, Michael Green, and Eric Pearson.
Several versions of the script had the film set in the 1920s before Marvel settled on a modern setting. Another iteration focused on Blade’s daughter, Brielle Brooks. Some made him a secondary character in his own movie. None of these scripts made it to production.
Family-Friendly or Dark and Gritty?
The New Line Blade trilogy was a dark, stylish blend of action and supernatural horror, while still feeling realistic. This version of Blade was a sarcastic, stoic one-man army who operated outside of mainstream society. The trilogy was so influential that writers changed how the character was portrayed in the comics.
The MCU, though, has a very different style with its over-reliance on quippy one-liners and predictable tropes present in their PG-13 films. It’s not a universe built for a morally gray anti-hero like Blade.
Marvel has always chased the widest audience, which usually means keeping things family-friendly. They have released projects that are darker in tone like Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The main difference is that Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night were TV shows rated TV-14. Multiverse of Madness still got a PG-13 rating despite having more intense, and even violent sequences.
The only film Marvel has released with an R rating was Deadpool & Wolverine. What made it work was Deadpool’s irrelevant humor and ability to break the fourth wall that allowed the film to make jokes at the MCU’s expense.
A Blade film would have to be R-rated without watering it down with jokes to “lighten the mood.” It needs to be serious and intense, or else it’s not going to be enjoyable to watch.
A Simple Story Has Become Too Complicated
The most ironic thing about this entire situation is that Blade shouldn’t be this hard to make. It’s not a multiversal crossover or a sprawling ensemble film.
It’s about one man determined to rid the world of vampires, all while grappling with his part-vampiric nature. They could adapt the comic mini series Blade: Crescent City Shadows into a 90 minute film. It could focus on him battling Dracula, Morbius or discovering his origin as a Daywalker.
David S. Goyer, who wrote the original trilogy, has said he doesn’t understand why Marvel is struggling with something so straightforward.
Maybe the real issue is that Blade’s story is too simple to tell. Marvel is known for crafting a complex, interconnected universe spanning across movies and TV shows. Every project is meant to tie back into a past MCU film in some capacity.
Even in the comics Blade tends to be self-contained. He’ll crossover to other titles, especially when the plot calls for vampires. He’s usually separated from the rest of the Marvel Universe, as the supernatural always get a lot of attention in the comics.
That’s actually a good thing. That means anyone can enjoy Blade without having to binge nearly two decades worth of content just to understand what’s going on. But making a film that doesn’t need to be connected to the multiverse might be too much for Marvel to handle. Blade doesn’t fit into the world they have built.
The longer development drags on, the harder it will be for Marvel to actually get the project off the ground. Mahershala Ali is 51 years old and isn’t getting any younger. Fans are losing hope of ever seeing Ali’s Blade in the MCU, which is causing them to lose interest. The film is now synonymous with the incoherent, aimless direction the MCU has been heading in since Endgame was released.
For now, the Daywalker remains in the dark. Honestly, that may be for the best until Marvel figures out how to tell his story the way it deserves to be told.
