Is Mahershala Ali to Blame for ‘Blade’ Delays? It Sure Seems Like It

ByHrvoje Milakovic Posted on
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The new ‘Blade’ film from Marvel Studios has faced numerous challenges, reintroducing us to Eric Brooks, the legendary vampire hunter, and rebooting the influential ‘Blade’ trilogy. The project has been turbulent from the start, with Mahershala Ali at its center since he pitched himself as Blade back in 2018.

Ali’s journey with ‘Blade’ has been fraught with obstacles, including persistent script issues and a revolving door of writers and directors. Recently, director Yan Demange exited the film, and sources like The Hollywood Reporter suggest Ali’s significant role in decision-making may be complicating matters.

After joining the project in 2019, fresh off his Oscar win for ‘Green Book,’ Ali envisioned ‘Blade’ as his ‘Black Panther.’ He chose Demange to direct after the departure of Bassam Tariq in September 2022. However, their collaboration ended amid reported disagreements over the direction of the film.

The shoot was scheduled to start in May 2023 with writer Nic Pizzolatto, but strikes in the industry caused significant delays. The script’s focus has also shifted from a period piece about Blade’s daughter and Lilith to a contemporary setting where Blade hunts vampires. Mia Goth remains involved, and a train set initially built for ‘Blade’ will now serve another Disney project.

Shelby Weiser, Ali’s attorney, voiced frustrations over the delays since the project’s confirmation in 2019. They attribute the slowdown to the pandemic, Disney’s shift towards streaming, and a backlog in Marvel’s production queue, which left ‘Blade’ somewhat neglected.

There’s also talk that Ali might step away from ‘Blade’ to possibly join a new ‘Jurassic World’ film. Despite the setbacks and undisclosed costs, Marvel remains committed to ‘Blade,’ focusing on finalizing the script this summer before selecting a new director.

As a fan, these delays are disheartening, but the promise of a well-crafted ‘Blade’ film gives us hope. Let’s see if the extra time spent perfecting everything pays off in the end.

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