The Daywalker is skipping the line straight to the end of the world.
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios has pinned down exactly when and where we will next see the Daywalker. The report claims that despite the solo film’s notoriously fluid production history, Marvel Studios is planning to bypass the solo film bottleneck by officially debuting Mahershala Ali’s Blade in the grand multiversal finale, Avengers: Secret Wars ahead of a major role in Midnight Sons.
It has been an agonizing seven years since Kevin Feige introduced Mahershala Ali at SDCC 2019, and five years since his disembodied voice warned Dane Whitman about the Ebony Blade in Eternals. While fans have worried that the endless revolving door of directors and script drafts meant the project was dead in the water, it seems as though Marvel and Ali have come to terms on a path forward for the character.
This is the most pragmatic move Kevin Feige could make. Moving ahead with a half-assed Blade solo film just to check a box has proven to be a creative minefield. By introducing him, and Ghost Rider–potentially played by Ryan Gosling— as high-stakes, multiversal heavy-hitters in Secret Wars, Marvel will satisfy the fans, honor Ali’s immense patience, and cleanly establish the supernatural infrastructure needed to launch the Midnight Sons in Phase 7.
According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Marvel has put a stake through the heart of Blade, opting to include the Daywalker into its rumored Midnight Sons team-up film.
With a pretty clear path established to the end of the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios has begun the brick-by-brick process of building its post-Secret Wars slate. As it stands, a sequel to Fantastic Four: First Steps, Black Panther 3—to be written and directed by Ryan Coogler–and an X-Men film directed by Jake Schreier are believed to be among the studio’s first theatrical projects in Phase 7. That’s a pretty robust start to the MCU’s new saga; however, the studio currently has dates set aside for four films in 2028 and a new report has shed some light on who the studio may want to bring it to the big screen.
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios has circled back to Jordan Peele, who they originally approached to direct X-Men, to direct an unknown Phase 7 project.
Though he’s only directed four projects to date, Peele boasts and incredibly impressive resume as a screenwriter, with an Academy Award for his screenplay for Get Out, which he also helmed. Peele also wrote the screenplay for Nope, 2021’s Candyman, 20 episodes of Paramount+’s The Twilight Zone and Us, which he also directed. With that horror-heavy filmography, it would seem as though Marvel may be looking to Peele to take the reigns of the long-delayed Blade film or perhaps the rumored Midnight Sons team-up film, which would reportedly see Sacha Baron Cohen reprise his role as Mephisto.
You can start and have a good script and make it a great script through production, but we didn’t feel confident we could do that on Blade. We didn’t want to do that to Mahershala and didn’t want to do that to us. We didn’t want to put a leather outfit on [Ali] and have him start killing vampires. [We] landed on modern day and that’s what we’re focusing on.
-Kevin Feige on Blade
However, even as synonymous with horror as Peele‘s name has become, Marvel’s interest in having him direct its X-Men film would seem to indicate they haven’t pigeonholed the talented creative. Reports indicated that Peele and Marvel Studios cordially parted ways on X-Men over the dormer’s desire to both write and direct the project. Perhaps Peele and Marvel have found a project–whether it be Blade, Midnight Sons or something else entirely–on which Peele can have more of the creative control he’s accustomed to.
What’s next for Marvel Studios? Who’s recently joined the cast of your most anticipated series or film? Where can you find the teasers and trailers? Look no further, true believers. Everything you need to know about the future of the MCU has been collected for you here. Click on each logo to learn what we currently know about the upcoming MCU projects.
Six years ago, Kevin Feige stunned Hall H with the announcement that Marvel Studios was developing a Mahershala Ali-led Blade film. Six years later, fans are still waiting for the Daywalker to see the light of day.
You can start and have a good script and make it a great script through production, but we didn’t feel confident we could do that on Blade. We didn’t want to do that to Mahershala and didn’t want to do that to us.
-Kevin Feige on Blade
Production on Blade has been delayed multiple times beginning with the decision of original director Bassam Tariq to leave the film in 2022. At least five different writers have taken a turn on the script after original scribe Stacey Osei-Koffour parted ways with the project with Marvel Studios’ vet Eric Pearson (Black Widow, Thunderbolts*) having most recently penned a draft. Without a director since Tariq’s replacement, Yann Demange, bailed in June 2024, there was simply no way Blade was making it in front of cameras and was ultimately removed from the studio’s 2025 theatrical slate. Fans have begun to believe that they may never see the film but according to Feige, that’s simply not the case as the studio and Ali remain committed to the project.
We didn’t want to put a leather outfit on [Ali] and have him start killing vampires.
-Kevin Feige on why Blade has been so difficult to get underway
According to insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios is currently looking to begin principal photography on Blade in 2026.
Should production actually get underway in 2026, Blade could find itself in theaters in July 2027, though it seems much more likely to end up as part of the studio’s 2028 theatrical slate at this point. With Ali also expected to play a major role in the supernatural event film Midnight Sons, it looks as though the future is suddenly much brighter for the MCU’s Daywalker.
Marvel Studios won’t be making a splash by revealing its upcoming slate in Hall H during SDCC this weekend but that doesn’t mean the powers that be at the studio aren’t working hard on putting it together. As of now, the studio has only scheduled films through 2028, but as always, Marvel Studios’ One Above All, KevinFeige is kicking the can quite a bit further down the road. “It’s traditionally a five-year plan,” he said. “I think it goes to 2032 right now.”
With the studio looking to release between 1 to 3 films a year and having only officially commented on a few projects in the works (Black Panther 3, X-Men and the long-delayed Blade film), that leaves quite a few holes to fill on that new slate. Given the looming success of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a sequel to that film seems all but a sure thing and there are plenty of other projects that have either been rumored or known to be in development but, as of now, Feige would only offer up a tease of how the studio hopes to return to one of its greatest strengths.
“We were talking about a structure of an upcoming post-‘Secret Wars’ movie that I won’t name,” he said during a recent press event. “But I will say, like Shang-Chi, [it’s] getting back to what genre haven’t we done and want to do and how could this movie be that genre? [We would] focus on a singular storyline by embracing a certain genre we haven’t seen in a while.[It’s] remembering what cinema is and what movie going is and what entertaining audiences is,” said the Marvel boss.
While that’s about all he gave away in terms of teasing upcoming projects, Feige did reveal that the seven-year plan will see 2027’s Multiverse Saga finale, Avengers: Secret Wars, “reset” the Marvel Cinematic Universe rather than reboot it.” “Reboot is a scary word,” said Marvel’s Big Cheese. “Reboot can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Reset, singular timeline — we’re thinking along those lines.”
According to Feige, resetting the MCU means recasting roles, some of which have been filled by beloved actors for more than a decade…or two. “X-Men is where that will happen next,” he revealed while talking about the studio’s upcoming film, which he confirmed will be helmed by Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier. However, the future won’t just feature new actors as Cyclops and Jean Grey; it will also include the studio eventually recasting the roles of Captain America, Iron Man and Black Panther, among others.
They have been a place to tell stories about young people who feel different and who feel Other and who feel like they don’t belong. That’s the universal story of mutants, and that is where we’re going.
-Kevin Feige on Marvel Studios X-Men
“Amy Pascal and David Heyman are now searching for a new James Bond,” said Feige of Sony’s efforts to relaunch the 007 franchise. “David [Corenswet], the new Superman — he was awesome. That will always be the case,” Feige said of seeing new names take over roles from previous stars. “I think it’s hard for anybody to do that when an actor has done such a great role,” he said of replacing actors such as Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. in iconic roles before adding. “How are they going to ever replace Sean Connery [as James Bond], right?“
It’s interesting that Feige chose to sat down with reporters rather than attempt to thrill fans at SDCC; however, given the major changes to the plans the studio revealed at SDCC ’19 and SDCC ’22, the days of the major slate reveals may be behind Marvel Studios or, at the very least, they’ll be done in much smaller doses. For now, it’s clear that the bulk of the studio’s attention is being directed toward making sure Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars leave fans satiated with the Multiverse Saga before taking yet another step into the unknown in 2028.
Somehow, Wesley Snipes‘ Blade made a full-fledged appearance in an MCU film before Mahershala Ali‘s take on the character. Six years ago, when Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, electrified the Hall H crowd during Marvel’s SDCC ’19 panel by announcing the Ali-led Blade film was in development, that would have seemed impossible; however, getting that film off the ground has proven quite a chore for Feige and the Marvel Studios Parliament.
Production on Blade has been delayed multiple times beginning with the decision of original director Bassam Tariq to leave the film in 2022. At least five different writers have taken a turn on the script after original scribe Stacey Osei-Koffour parted ways with the project with Marvel Studios’ vet Eric Pearson (Black Widow, Thunderbolts*) having most recently penned a draft. Without a director since Tariq’s replacement, Yann Demange, bailed in June 2024, there was simply no way Blade was making it in front of cameras and was ultimately removed from the studio’s 2025 theatrical slate. Fans have begun to believe that they may never see the film but according to Feige, that’s simply not the case as the studio and Ali remain committed to the project.
“You can start and have a good script and make it a great script through production, but we didn’t feel confident we could do that on Blade,” said Feige during a recent press event at Marvel HQ. “We didn’t want to do that to Mahershala and didn’t want to do that to us.“
“We didn’t want to put a leather outfit on [Ali] and have him start killing vampires,” he explained, adding that after looking at a couple of different versions of the film that would have been period pieces, the studio “landed on modern day and that’s what we’re focusing on.”
As for when the studio expects the film to begin principal photography or hit theaters, Feige didn’t say, choosing to tease a seven-year plan that would keep the MCU going strong through 2032…if we’re all lucky, Blade might make it to theaters between now and then.
Despite chicken little claims about superhero fatigue, superhero projects remain king in the 21st century. Advancements in technology have allowed studios to tell stories, through films and streaming series, that 80s and 90s kids always dreamt of seeing. However, even as Hollywood continues to seek to advance and elevate the genre, the first modern superhero film still sets the standard in at least one aspect.
Released in 1998 (yes, the previous century), Stephen Norrington‘s Blade, starring Wesley Snipes, jumpstarted the superhero craze, making way for Sony to bring Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man franchise to live and allowing for Fox to dream big with the X-Men. But despite the dozens of comic book movies that have followed it into theater’s, Blade continues to hold the championship belt for having THE best opening scene. Unmatched nearly 30 years later, the iconic “Blood Rave” blitzed unsuspecting audiences with a raw and visceral introduction to Blade’s world. Replete with hard-pumping music and harder-pumping action, the “Blood Rave” left its mark on fans and film makers alike.
Though it’s never been said outright, one of the last decade’s most beloved action franchises often feels as though it could have drawn inspiration from Blade‘s opening scene. Three of the four films in Keanu Reeves‘ John Wick franchise has featured an action-packed scene set in some sort of club that, like Blade’s “Blood Rave”, feels like it was crafted with the intention to overload the audience’s senses. And now, a karmic circle moment may be right around the corner.
According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Marvel Studios May have lielned up John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski to inject some life into its (un)dead Blade reboot.
A series of events that seems to long and painful to relive again here has resulted in Marvel Studios’ Blade remaining in development hell after first being announced in 2019. It’s enough to know that after years of stops and starts, the film was removed from the studio’s 2025 slate and never given a new release date. As director after director have left the project, fans have often called for Marvel to being in Stahelski, who has plenty of experience in both the superhero genre and with vampire projects and went on record in 2022 calling Blade “the one interesting thing” he would like to do at Marvel Studios, under one condition.
And he [Kevin Feige] actually asked me, ‘What could we ever do?’ I was like, ‘Look, I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t know if I fit that kind of studio mold, but Blade would be the one interesting thing I’d like to do. I don’t know if I would’ve been the best choice for that in the direction they wanted to go. If you want to do the edgy rated R version, yeah, give me a call. If you want to be non-apologetic, yeah. That’s me. But I think they’re protecting their brand, they’re doing their thing. The individual they selected, I think is a very good director, and I think will do a great job in the direction that I think they want to take the property.
Following Marvel Studios summer convention circuit, which was laser-focused on the 2025 slate, it’s become clear that the studio has now turned its attention to 2026. In a relatively short amount of time, plans for two films, Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4, began to crystalize. However, as it stands now, there are still 2 untitled Marvel Studios films on the release schedule for 2026 which means if the studio hopes to make their respective release dates, they’ll need to make decisions in short order.
The two untitled projects are set to serve as bookends to Doomsday and Spidey 4 which will both arrive in Summer 2026. With one untitled movie dated for February 13th, 2026, time is running out for the studio to get a project up and running if they hope to have something in theaters that day. Typically, Marvel would prefer to give a director about one year of lead time headed into production, meaning they’d typically have had a director on board for the February 2026 film nine months ago. However, despite that not being the case, a new report from a trusted insider points toward one troubled Marvel Studios’ movie potentially making into theaters for that date.
According to Daniel RPK, Marvel’s long-gestating Blade film starring Mahershala Ali stands as the best bet to join Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4 on the 2026 theatrical release schedule.
The insider’s report does come with one interesting caveat, however: he believes that the studio will eventually abandon the February date and try to have Blade ready for theaters in time to make the November 6, 2026 date they have staked out for an untitled film.
Unless they get something into production quickly next year even the February 2026 movie might be off the table.
As for right now best bet is they remove the Feb 2026 spot and put Blade in that Nov spot
Of course meeting any 2026 release date is contingent on finding a director for the film. Since it was announced in 2019, Blade has already lost original director Bassam Tariq and his replacement, Yann Demange. Fortunately, according to Daniel RPK, things may be headed in a positive direction as the project may be “close to finding a director.”
Yes, Ali likes the new draft and they're close to finding a director. It's the MCU film most likely to go into production next year with nothing else as close. So aside from the ones we already have (Cap 4, Thunderbolts, F4) it seems like Spidey and Blade are all that's left for… https://t.co/VMtKFjTy7f
Should the studio choose to move Blade into November 2026, that would cut the number of Marvel films on Disney’s recently updated 2026 release schedule by one. While that may be the most realistic option at this time, it’s not the only one. If the powers that be that make up the Marvel Parliament believe they can get Blade and another film in theaters for 2026, there’s no reason they can’t kick the February date down the road while also releasing a fourth film in November.
However, further extrapolation of the latest news could also lead one to believe that while Blade was not going to be ready for its November 7, 2025 release date, the studio had not abandoned the project. In fact, the lack of recent movement on any other Marvel Studios films was rather an indicator that Kevin Feige and the Parliament (didn’t they chart in the ’60s?) still hoped to get Blade up and running as soon as possible, potentially with an eye on making it into theaters on February 13, 2026. Now, a new report from a reliable Marvel Studios insider gives some credence to that possibility.
As Marvel Studios focuses on finalizing its 2026 theatrical slate, Daniel RPK has reported that work continues on a new script for Blade with an eye on principal photographygetting underway in the UK next year.
Though the new report does not indicate whether Pearson is still on board the project, RPK also reports that the studio is still developing Blade as a dark, R-rated film, although now with a smaller, more reasonable budget than some of its previous projects.
As the studio heads down the home stretch of the Multiverse Saga, tentatively slotting Blade into the first open 2026 release date would leave the powers that be at Marvel with just one more film to pull together and have in theaters on November 6, 2026. Even if Blade continues to face challenges in its development, Marvel could easily vacate the February 13th date and choose to either move it to one of Disney’s four open dates that year or shoot for a November 2026 release and bump whatever unknown project they have slotted in for that date into early 2027, ahead of Avengers: Secret Wars. Whatever the case, it seems as though fans shouldn’t put a stake in the heart of their hopes to see Mahershala Ali‘s Daywalker just yet.
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