Marvel Studios panel at SDCC ’19 was among the most exciting they’ve ever put together on Hall H. However, due to a number of variables that have often been beyond the studio’s control, many of the projects teased over five years ago have yet to be released. Additionally, other projects have struggled to come together and have undergone numerous changes behind the scenes. Now it seems as though the studio has made the decision to move on from one such project for the time being.
Via an official release from Disney, Marvel Studios has removed Blade from its 2025 film slate.
The move comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed the film’s incredible inability to come together over the past five years. Despite being backed and led by Mahershala Ali, the studio has been unable to put together a script worth shooting even after trying out a half dozen writers. Blade has also seen turnover in the director’s chair and despite recent rumors that they were looking to some new names to lead the film, Marvel Studios has finally put a stake in the heart of the project for now.
In the simplest terms, MCU fans would be best served by forgetting Marvel Studios 2022 SDCC and D23 presentations ever took place. Just over two years later, the studio’s plans for their Multiverse Saga have been turned upside down and inside out. However, after going through an unprecedented rough patch, Marvel has begun to emerge and, it seems, learned and evolved and righted the ship.
As part of the unexpected struggles, many of Marvel’s previously announced and planned projects have been delayed while others face an uncertain future. However, with a new path to the end of the saga outlined, the studio has been able to begin roughing out the supporting pieces that will flesh out the story around the two Avengers centerpieces.
With the studio’s 2025 projects all seemingly moving along as expected, the Parliament has turned its attention to its 2026 slate and it has started to come together quickly. Though nothing has been officially announced by the studio, it’s beginning to look like 2026 will shape up as follows:
Blade (February 13, 2026)
Avengers: Doomsday (May 1, 2026)
Spider-Man 4 (July 24, 2026)
Doctor Strange 3 (November 6, 2026)
To be clear, as of now only Avengers: Doomsday, set to be directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, has been announced by the studio. However, Destin Daniel Cretton recently boarded Spider-Man 4, choosing to direct it rather than a Shang-Chi sequel, and Sam Raimi is reportedly nearing a deal that would see him back at the helm of the Doctor Strange franchise. And yes, even Blade, which has been searching for the proper creative mix for over five years is reportedly still working toward eventually hitting the big screen.
Caveat emptor certainly applies heavily here as the studio has never faced a more uncertain time than now; however, it is clear the powers that be have been working toward putting together a 2026 slate and have made some legitimate progress. And for a studio trying to scale back its output, 2026 is shaping up to be one of its biggest years ever.
After a nearly decade-long run as the undisputed champion of pop culture, Marvel Studios has faced its fair share of adversity over the past several years. The return of Bob Iger following a string of films that weren’t quite up to the studio’s own lofty standards and a streaming project that could just have easily stayed in the idea stage led to some big changes behind the scenes. After taking some time to reflect on what went wrong, the studio adopted a new way of doing business behind the scenes and rolled out some flashy rebranding in public in hopes of recapturing the magic that made the brand.
One change clearly stated by Iger was that the studio would no longer seek to push out 4 movies and 4 streaming projects each year. With so many projects already known to be in various stages of development at the time of Iger’s mandate, it seemed a certainty that some projects would be pushed well down the road while others might never made at all. According to a new report, two projects that have been in development for several years are on the chopping block.
According to insider Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios is currently considering the fates of both Armor Wars and Blade with a decision on the future of both projects expected by the end of the year.
Our Disney+ shows are awesome and we love them, but the budgets are not the same as the features, that’s not secret. And when you’re talking about a show that wants to be about seeing all the cool armors, and Don Cheadle interacting with all these armors, and the legacy of Tony Stark, that became cost-prohibitive to do as a show.
-Nate Moore on Armor Wars
At that time, the story of Armor Wars was also explained to be very connected both to what came before (which turned out to be Secret Invasion) and what was coming next.
And we realized as a feature, not only can we get into some of the beautiful imagery that is from publishing and there’s certainly an Armor Wars run, but also there’s ways then to leverage the ideas of that movie that affect other movies down the line. So it becomes a multiplication really of, once you figure out what is cool about something…
-Nate Moore on Armor Wars
However, with Secret Invasion being an abysmal failure and the entire back half of the Multiverse Saga being rethought following the poor reception to the concept and the firing of Jonathan Majors, Armor Wars has gone from a necessary bridge to potential collateral damage.
Blade
Easily the biggest surprise of SDCC ’19, the studio’s Mahershala Ali-led Blade film has gone through well-documented turmoil and seems no closer to being made now than it was five years ago. Despite Disney still holding a November 7, 2025 date aside for the film, Blade is currently without a director and has already gone through at least six different writers.
They gave me the R, which is so important. We are going to have fun because Mahershala is such a deep actor.” “I’m excited to show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has, that allows him to walk the earth in a particular way. I love him for that. He’s got a dignity and integrity, but there is a ferocity there that he usually keeps under the surface. I want to unleash that and put it on the screen.
-Yann Demange on the R-rating of Blade
At this point, it seems more likely that Blade–whose voice was heard in a post-credit scene to Eternals–may appear in the rumored Midnight Sons film before a solo Blade project gets off the ground.
For the third time in four months, Marvel Studios’ One Above All, Kevin Feige, provided a convention audience with an update on the studio’s 2025 film slate when he took the stage at Disney’s D23 event on August 9th. And for the third time in four months, Feige teased Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, explaining what each project would add to the ever-expanding MCU and showcasing footage for those in attendance. And for the third time in four months, there was no mention of one of the studio’s longest-gestating projects.
As was the case at April’s CinemaCon and July’s SDCC, Feige’s presentation about the studio’s 2025 theatrical slate did not include even a mention of Blade. First announced at SDCC ’19, the Mahershala Ali-led reboot was initially met with incredible anticipation; five years later, that has evolved into incredible consternation as the studio’s well-documented struggles to get the project up and running have led to concerns that it may never make its way to the big screen. And when for the third time in four months the project gets left out of a presentation by Feige about what to expect in theaters in 2025, it’s easy to understand why fans have grown concerned.
Feige isn’t acting independently in ignoring the project. During a recent investor call, Disney big cheese Bob Iger also failed to discuss the project while hyping investors on the company’s big 2025 release schedule. “In 2025, our theatrical slate remains just as robust, with Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Zootopia 2, and Avatar 3,” said Iger, listing each of the other MCU films slated for 2025.
Despite being left out of Feige’s three most recent presentations about the immediate future of the MCU and currently being without a director, Blade is still listed as a November 7, 2025 release on all of Disney’s official channels. However, as the calendar creeps toward Fall, when the project was expected to begin production, the probability of Blade keeping that 2025 release date continues to decrease. And at this point–after not being mentioned during a presentation by Feige for the third time in four months–fans have begun to wonder if they’ll ever see the Daywalker’s solo project on the big screen at all.
Hidden among the first looks at Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the bombshell that Robert Downey Jr. was returning to the MCU as Victor Von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, a Marvel Studios project that made major waves 5 years ago received a very disappointing update.
Though it was hardly surprising, Marvel Studios announced that Blade was no longer on track to meet its November 7, 2025 release date.
Though no new date was revealed for Blade, Kevin Feige confirmed that the studio’s 2025 theatrical slate would consist of three films: Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The road to getting Marvel Studios’ Blade into production has been more nightmarish than facing off with a pack of vampires. First announced at SDCC ’19, the film has struggled mightily to get off the ground. Originally set to be penned by the Emmy-nominated Stacy Osei-Kuffour, directed by Bassam Tariq and in theaters on November 3, 2023, Blade has seen more turnover on its creative staff than any project in Marvel Studios’ history and will almost certainly not make its latest release date of November 7, 2025. Now on the hunt to replace Tariq’s replacement, Yann Demange, the project has also hired a new writer to take over the screenplay and this time, it’s one the studio has collaborated with frequently.
According to Variety, Eric Pearson has taken over screenwriting duties for Blade, following Logan writer Michael Green–among others–in that task.
First breaking in as the writer of several of Marvel Studios’ One-Shots, Pearson has worked with the studio on Thor: Ragnarok, Black Widow, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four. According to the trade report, the powers that be at the studio see Pearson as “ a closer who can bring scripts over the finish line.” In the case of Blade, perhaps just getting to the starting line would represent growth.
Marvel Studios’ Blade is currently as real as vampires and its release date cannot be seen in a mirror.
Nearing the five-year mark since Marvel Studios’ One Above All, Kevin Feige, surprised the crowd at SDCC ’19 by bringing Mahershala Ali on stage to announce a Blade reboot was in the works. It may be another five years before the vampire film sees the light of day. The film has been delayed multiple times as original director Bassam Tariq left the film in 2022 and at least five different writers have taken a turn on the script after original scribe Stacey Osei-Koffour parted ways with the project. Now, the project has taken yet another stake to the heart.
According to THR, Marvel Studios and Ali remain committed to bringing Blade to the screen but given all the delays, they are in no rush. Though Michael Green was the latest reported scribe to give Blade a pass, THR reports that Marvel’s finisher, Eric Pearson, has taken a cup of coffee on the film.
Currently slated to hit theaters on November 7, 2025, Blade could be one of the first casualties of the studio’s mandate to cut back on the number of projects released per year. While it was expected to enter production this Fall, there’s no telling how long a search for a new director may take which could see the film move to 2026.
First announced at SDCC ’19, Marvel Studios’ Blade has become something of an enigma. Constant changes to the project’s creative team and the 2023 Hollywood strikes delayed the film so many times that fans began to believe the Daywalker would never make it back to the big screen. However, although the film was left out of Kevin Feige’s CinemaCon presentation of Marvel Studios’ 2025 films, Blade is still making its way down the production pipeline and the studio has every intention of bringing Mahershala Ali‘s passion project to theaters.
In January 2024, rumors of the latest version of the film’s script, written by Michael Green, surfaced and it sounded pretty badass. At that time, the film was said to be a period piece in which Mia Goth‘s villainous character was hunting for Blade’s daughter to use her blood to create an army of Daywalkers. Goth’s character was also rumored to be sporting the Ebony Blade, seen in the post-credit scene of Eternals to be in the home of Kit Harrington‘s Dane Whitman. While some or all of those things may still be part of the script, rumors of another revision to the project have surfaced as well as some information about when it may finally begin filming.
According to insider Daniel RPK, Blade will now be set in the MCU’s present day and will still feature Goth’s Lilith as the big bad. With a solid script now in place, production is scheduled to begin in the UK late in 2024.
Whether set in the past or the present, the film still has the potential to do a lot of heavy lifting for Marvel Studios as they continue to construct a corner of the MCU dedicated to monsters and legitimate horror projects. Werewolf By Night tested the waters in that regard and left fans hoping for more. It sounds as though Blade is not only the next step in that direction but also an important stepping stone itself as Daniel RPK also claims that the film will set up another project: Marvel Studios Midnight Sons. Midnight Sons is a term associated with a group of supernatural superheroes in Marvel Comics. They typically deal with occult threats and darker, supernatural elements within the Marvel Universe. The team has varied in its composition over the years but often includes characters like Ghost Rider, Blade, Doctor Strange, and others with connections to the supernatural or occult.
They gave me the R, which is so important.We are going to have fun because Mahershala is such a deep actor. I’m excited to show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has, that allows him to walk the earth in a particular way. I love him for that. He’s got a dignity and integrity, but there is a ferocity there that he usually keeps under the surface. I want to unleash that and put it on the screen.
-Director Yann Demange on Blade’s R-rating
Though it has been delayed more times than anyone would like to count, it sounds as though Marvel Studios has taken the right approach in taking their time to put together a strong script for the R-rated adventure. With as long as they’ve spent crafting Blade, perhaps they’ve finally found the right mix behind the scenes to make the equal of a Hattori Hanzō.
Blade is currently slated to hit theaters on November 7, 2025.
Kevin Feige‘s first trip to CinemaCon was impressive, revealing first look footage at Marvel Studios’ next two theatrical releases, Deadpool and Wolverine, out July 26th, and Captain America: Brave New World, slated for February 14, 2025. In addition to the footage, Feige talked about a pair of projects also set for 2025 releases, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four. Notably absent from the panel, however, was another projected slated for 2025 that’s been the subject of fan concerns for some time.
Some Motherfuckers Are Always Trying to Ice-Skate Uphill
First announced at SDCC ’19, the development of Marvel Studios’ Mahershala Ali-led Blade reboot has been as nightmarish as Dominic Purcell‘s portrayal of Dracula in 2004’s Blade: Trinity. A new writer here (Michael Green is the sixth writer to work on the film’s script), a new director there and multiple delays to the start of production have led fans to wonder if the Daywalker will ever see the light of day.
Though recent rumors indicate the project is headed in the right direction–and it sounds like a pretty badass direction–fans are still hesitant to believe the film will hit theaters, much less make its current November7, 2025 release date. That concern was exacerbated when Feige failed to mention Blade at CinemaCon while every other 2025 film was given at least some level of attention.
The World You Live in Is Just a Sugar-Coated Topping
Is Blade cancelled? Has it been moved to 2026?
At this point, there’s been no indication that Blade won’t get made. In fact, as recently as March 2024, reliable sources indicated a late-2024 start of production in the UK was on the schedule. What’s more likely, especially with Bob Iger‘s return to Disney coming with a mandate to make sure projects don’t begin production until they’ve passed some quality checks, is that Disney isn’t sure if it will make its 2025 date or move into 2026.
And, at this point in time, that’s just fine. As the old adage goes,”a finely crafted blade will never meet as many blows on the battlefield as it did on the anvil.” With three films (Captain America: Breve New World, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four) seemingly assured to release in 2025, Marvel Studios can comfortably take their time on the anvil to make sure their Blade is finely crafted.
Marvel Studios have certainly taken their time developing the Mahershala Ali-led Blade reboot. First announced at SDCC ’19, the project came as a shockingly wonderful surprise…and then the world went to hell. Nearly four and a half years, one global pandemic and two major Hollywood work stoppages later, production on the film still hasn’t gotten underway and, in fact, has been delayed multiple times. However, all signs point to principal photography finally getting underway sometime late in 2024 and now a new rumor about the film is sure to provide some much-needed hope about the state of the project.
According to insider Daniel RPK, after having multiple writers work on the script (current writer Michael Green is the sixth scribe to work on the screenplay) it sounds as though they’ve found their story and it sounds fairly badass!
In November 2023, director Yann Demange told Deadline that Marvel Studios had given him the green light to make Blade an R-rated film. “They gave me the R, which is so important,” said Demange, adding that “we are going to have fun because Mahershala is such a deep actor.” “I’m excited to show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has, that allows him to walk the earth in a particular way. I love him for that. He’s got a dignity and integrity, but there is a ferocity there that he usually keeps under the surface. I want to unleash that and put it on the screen.” he explained. The new rumor from Daniel RPK lines up with Demange’s R-rated comment and gives some insight into exactly what Ali’s Daywalker will be up against.
The rumor states that Blade will be a period piece and will have ties to one of the MCU’s most confusing post-credit scenes. Apparently the film’s plot will revolve around an attempt by the villain Lilith–played by horror queen Mia Goth–to gather up the blood of Blade’s daughter in an effort to create an army of Daywalkers. To make things more interesting, Goth’s baddie will reportedly weild the mysterious Ebony Blade, first seen in the MCU in The Eternals. In the mid-credit scene, Kit Harrington‘s Dane Whitman was revealed to be in possession of the sword, which was shown to have some fascinating properties. Just as Whitman was about to pick it up, he was stopped by Ali’s Blade, who was not seen, only heard.
Following the release of The Eternals, Marvel Studios executive producer Nate Moore explained how the studio came to connect Blade to the sword. “Cause the Ebony Blade, the characteristics of the Ebony Blade are not dissimilar to some degree to vampirism and we think that’s an interesting kind of thing to play with,” explained Moore. Now it sounds as though Blade will establish a MUCH clearer connection to the stinger scene though it’s not believed that Harrington will play a role in the film.
Blade is currently slated for a November 7, 2025 release.
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