The half-vampire hybrid Blade is now joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Marvel has finally recovered the character’s cinematic rights. Hence, a Blade reboot is now in the works, and it will see a new actor in Mahershalal Ali. With this new star in tow, the original movie trilogy writer, David S. Goyer, is all praised for the Green Book star replacing Wesley Snipes.
The Blade reboot is one of the highly anticipated movies from the MCU after Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced Daywalkers’ return at the San Diego Comic-Con 2019. The film was already in development at the time, though nothing has come to fruition until today. However, Goyer’s new interview seems to be a good update about it.
In a talk on Happy Sad Confused with Josh Horowitz, the filmmaker has nothing but good words for Ali. "Mahershala is A-mazing!" he said. In fact, he couldn’t even think of anyone to take the mantle from Snipes but him.
You can watch the interview below:
Why has Blade reboot yet to be released?
According to Goyer, Marvel Studios is having difficulties making the Blade reboot. "They've clearly had struggle after struggle after struggle with it," he revealed. That said, just like fans, he, too, is looking forward to seeing the new take on the vampire-hunter superhero movie and “see where it goes.”
However, he can't help but think how ironic it could be that Marvel took up this project and even planned to bring Blade into the MCU, as, according to Goyer, the company didn’t want this character to have anything to do with the franchise. "They were afraid of Blade and just assumed it would be a black mark on their reputation – no pun intended," he explained.
What is the Blade reboot about?
The Blade reboot will be a total revamp of the franchise, seeing Ali as the new lead. Details about the movie’s story remain under wraps, but considering it will be based on the original Blade trilogy, it may tell Eric Brooks’ origin and how he ends up being a vampire slayer. However, it’s also possible that the movie will follow Eric as an already established and experienced hunter, which may answer questions about his whereabouts through the MCU timeline.
The film remake’s story may also be based on the villains Blade has to face. And by the looks of it, Disney+’s Halloween special Werewolf by Night has already introduced the possible enemies by featuring a group of monster hunters competing for a powerful relic while rivaling dangerous beasts.
When will Blade reboot be released?
Originally, the Blade reboot was scheduled to be released this year but moved to 2024. Disney announced in June that several Marvel films would be delayed, including Blade and other Phase 5 and Phase 6 movies.
However, the Blade reboot already has a new release date, which is on February 14, 2025. But its release still depends on how long the writers' and actors’ strikes would last. Initially, the film was about to begin filming in Summer 2023, but the strikes happened.
So, it remains to be seen when its production starts and if it can make it in its 2025 release. So, fans have to wait a little longer before something comes to a result.
