Mahershala Ali's Blade Movie Project Appears to Be Canceled

The highly anticipated Blade movie, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appears to have hit a dead end. After numerous hurdles, the project seems to have stalled, leaving fans disappointed, especially with the prospect of Mahershala Ali not portraying the iconic Daywalker. This development might be one of the most significant setbacks in the MCU to date.

Rapper and artist Flying Lotus, who was set to contribute music to the film, confirmed its cancellation on X / Twitter. "I guess we are so far from it even being a possibility now but. Yeah I was signed on to write music for the new BLADE movie before it fell thru," he shared. Flying Lotus, who recently directed the sci-fi horror film ASH on Shudder, expressed doubts about the project's revival but acknowledged it would have been an exciting opportunity.

Just a day before Flying Lotus' announcement, costume designer Ruth E. Carter revealed on The John Campea Show that she was slated to design costumes for Blade, which was set to take place in the 1920s. This setting promised unique and captivating costume and production designs, adding to the film's allure.

Compounding the bad news, actor Delroy Lindo, who was also attached to the film alongside Ali, discussed its collapse in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," Lindo said. He described the initial excitement and inclusivity of the project, which unfortunately "went off the rails" for unspecified reasons.

Blade was first unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with a planned release this November if all had gone according to plan. The film has seen multiple directors come and go, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, but none managed to steer the project to completion.

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show

View 18 Images

Despite the setbacks, it's been only six months since Blade was removed from Marvel's release schedule in October 2024, and no new release date has been set. However, MCU boss Kevin Feige remains optimistic, stating in a November 2024 interview with Omelete, "We are committed to Blade. We love the character, we love Mahershala's take on him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know. You're all up to date on what's happening. But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."