‘Blade’: Director Bassam Tariq Steps Away From Project Just Two Months Before Production Begins

For more than a decade, Marvel Studios was nearly perfect when it comes to behind-the-scenes shakeups with its film productions. Outside of the very public breakup with Edgar Wright over the original “Ant-Man” film, everything else went to plan in the MCU when it came to choosing filmmakers. But in a post-‘Endgame’ world, things haven’t been the same, with directors coming and going at a more frequent pace, including the surprise announcement that Bassam Tariq is now departing the upcoming production of “Blade.”

According to THR, just two months before production was expected to begin, filmmaker Bassam Tariq has departed the directing duties on the action film, “Blade.” If you believe Marvel Studios and the filmmaker, the decision was due to the timing of the production. You know, the good ol’ scheduling conflict. 

READ MORE: Chad Stahelski Had A “Nice Talk” With Kevin Feige About Directing A Marvel Film But Only Wanted To Do ‘Blade’

“Due to continued shifts in our production schedule, Bassam is no longer moving forward as director of ‘Blade’ but will remain an executive producer on the film,” Marvel Studios said. “We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.”

Tariq added, “It’s been an honor working with the wonderful folks at Marvel. We were able to put together a killer cast and crew. Eager to see where the next director takes the film.”

“Blade,” of course, is based on the Marvel character of the same name. The film is expected to follow the vampire hunter as he tracks down monsters and kills them with his trusty sword. Tariq is probably best known for his work on the recent film, “Mogul Mowgli,” which earned near-universal acclaim upon its release. 

READ MORE: ‘Blade’: Aaron Pierre To Co-Star In Marvel’s Vampire Killer Film Starring Mahershala Ali

As mentioned, while still a rare occurrence in the MCU, the director shakeup isn’t totally unheard of in recent years. Previously, we had Scott Derrickson leave “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” due to creative differences. Sam Raimi, of course, took over and the film was a pretty big hit when it arrived in theaters earlier this year. We’ve also seen Jon Watts step away from “Fantastic Four,” being replaced recently by Matt Shakman. Though, we don’t know how that is going to end up. Now, we have Tariq and “Blade.” 

Trying to speculate on who might replace Tariq is a difficult proposition. Sure, there are candidates inside the MCU, such as the duo of Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi, who recently worked on “Ms. Marvel” and famously saw their most recent project, “Batgirl,” get canceled in post-production. They seem like good team players and have a strong relationship with Marvel Studios already. But with the track record of the studio, Marvel could really land anyone for the job. 

That said, the real question is whether or not this means “Blade” is going to get delayed at all. The film was expected to begin production in November, ahead of its November 2023 release. But for that to happen, Marvel Studios would have to get a filmmaker ASAP and hope that everything goes swimmingly until then. 

We’ll just have to see how it all works out. “Blade” is expected to arrive in theaters on November 3, 2023.