What’s happening in the world of Marvel’s “Blade”? More and more delays, apparently. Announced at Comic-Con 2019, Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali was reportedly the one that sparked Marvel’s interest in the project, approaching the studio that they needed a new version of the Wesley Snipes starring classic for the MCU, and they agreed. “Blade” was announced five years ago but is heading to what sounds like its third or fourth delay, depending on who’s counting.
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Internet rumors of a delay swirled on Friday afternoon online and social media, and online reporter and former trade writer InSneider more or less confirmed the news that was going around: “Blade” is being retooled again and might be delayed until 2026, but Mahershala Ali is apparently happy with the direction the script is changing. Furthermore, “Fantastic Four,” currently scheduled for summer 2025, could take the November 2025 “Blade” release date should it need to, and the Ali-starring movie would move to TBD 2026.
This makes sense either way; Disney’s Bob Iger has said he wants to slow down Marvel’s output, so four films in 2025 would be too much. But still, this is a lot of changes for a project that seemingly keeps changing directors, writers, and direction (“True Detective” writer Nic Pizzalato was at one point going to rewrite the script too, likely at Ali’s behest since they worked together on season three).
Once said to be a kind of R-rated Victorian horror period piece set in the early 1900s or late 1800s with a plot revolving around the villain Lilith and the Ebony Blade, “Blade” is being directed by French filmmaker Yann Demange (“’71,” “Lovecraft Country”). But several rumors are circling, one of them being that going forward, “Blade” will not be a period piece, which might make sense when you think Marvel’s coming off a rocky 2023 and an R-rated horror period piece may not sail with contemporary audiences (historically, they don’t do very well at the box office and studios are often wary of them).
Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Delroy Lindo were all cast at one point, but other rumors point to some of them no longer being part of the cast; their windows to shoot being exhausted long ago, much like the way Steven Yeun and Ayo Edebiri are no longer in “Thunderbolts” because their availability for the production schedule has no since passed. Either way, don’t be surprised if, at any point in the near future, these names are no longer part of the cast and replacements are named.
Additionally and linked, online scooper Daniel RPK and DCU Leaks are both reporting (via ComicBookMovie) that “Midnight Sons,” a supernatural super-team that usually includes “Blade,” is in the works at Marvel Studios with composer-turned-filmmaker Michael Giacchino attached to direct. Giacchino previously directed Marvel’s supernatural monster one-off 2022 Disney+ special “Werewolf by Night,” which also fits perfectly into the “Midnight Sons” milieu.
Oscar Isaac, who stars as Marvel’s “Moon Knight”—a character also traditionally part of the team—has been vying for a “Midnight Sons” film ever since he entered the MCU, including a recent appearance in Abu Dhabi (see below), but there hasn’t been much of an official word. Maybe Comic-Con 2024? Should “Midnight Sons” enter the MCU, the most obvious candidates would be Blade, Moon Knight, characters from Werewolf By Night (played by Gael Garcia Bernal), Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), Man-Thing, possibly Doctor Strange, Black Knight (Kit Harington) and Ghost Rider whenever Marvel finally casts that role (which is also rumored to be in the works and Ryan Gosling said he was once interested).
“Blade” is currently scheduled for November 7, 2025. The only official film planned for 2026 is “Avenger: Kang Dynasty,” set for May 1, 2026, but given the loss of directors, script changes, delays, and firing of Jonathan Majors, once set to play the title Kang character, that could easily be delayed a year too. Marvel currently has four films scheduled for 2026, with placeholders set for February 13, 2026, July 24, 2026, and November 6, 2026. Still, again, it’s expected the company will pair that back to at least three years eventually, and maybe once they unveil what those films could be (our guesses include “Blade,” almost undoubtedly delayed at this point, “Shang Chi 2” and “Doctor Strange 3”).
While we’re at Marvel rumors from the same sources, “Spider-Man 4” is reportedly something that Sony wants by the end of 2025, making way for the aforementioned ‘Kang Dynasty,’ and the “Fantastic Four” is looking to cast Galactus and Silver Surfer (Javier Bardem is evidently a name wanted for the former character).
Blade concept art courtesy of @darkmatterincorp.