Marvel fans have been eagerly waiting for the arrival of Mahershala Ali’s Blade to the MCU ever since it was first announced back in 2019. However, the vampire-slayer action film has faced constant delays and pushbacks over the years.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Blade was notably absent from the Marvel panel despite still having a scheduled release date of November 7, 2025. These issues speak to the troubles behind getting the project off the ground. Let’s look at the potential reasons for the massive delay in ‘Blade‘.
Script Issues Remain Unsolved For ‘Blade‘
Ever since filming was originally meant to begin in the summer of 2023, Blade has been hit by multiple production hurdles back-to-back. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes halted initial filming plans. Previously, director Bassam Tariq departed the project in late 2022 due to scheduling issues.
His successor Yann Demange also left the project in mid-2024, forcing Marvel to square one again. With no evident progress and the project directorless, it’s unlikely Blade will maintain its already pushed-back 2025 date.
Another major factor in the delays has been the reported issue with the script. Early drafts were considered unsatisfactory by both Mahershala Ali and Marvel. This has led to multiple rewrites taking up much valuable development time.
Even after this, multiple reports have come out saying that the script is still not viable to all the parties involved and that more changes are imminent. This endless rewrite cycle to balance character and action has hampered progress towards an actual shoot. Until a draft emerges that pleases all, filming still remains unlikely.
In case you missed it: Marvel’s ‘Blade’ Reboot: Cast, Plot And Release Date
What’s Next For The Vampire Hunter?
Given its already half a decade-long journey in development hell, there appears to be no short-term solution to finally launch Blade’s production. The lack of mentions at SDCC, which has revealed a lot about the new Marvel projects, shows that Marvel may have all but given up trying to meet the 2025 release date.
With scripts still in flux and no permanent director, any projected timeline is just hearsay. Unless a major breakthrough occurs soon, fans face further delays to Ali’s long-awaited bow. The once-surefire Blade reboot has proven one of the most difficult Marvel projects to materialize, a sign of the challenges rebooting an iconic character can follow right behind it.
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