Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Blade

  • Bassam Tariq Exits ‘Blade’

    Bassam Tariq Exits ‘Blade’

    Blade has hit yet another setback.

    The Hollywood Reporter has announced that director Bassam Tariq has left the project. Marvel Studios confirmed the news, revealing that the director will remain an executive producer on the project. While Tariq’s exit is unfortunate, it does seem to be genuinely due to the film’s repeated delays, as the director also released his own statement on the matter.

    “Due to continued shifts in our production schedule, Bassam is no longer moving forward as director of Blade but will remain an executive producer on the film. We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.”

    Marvel Studios

    “Its been an honor working with the wonderful folks at Marvel. We were able to put together a killer cast and crew. Eager to see where the next director takes the film.”

    Tariq 

    Marvel Studios is already on the hunt for a new director. It’s likely we’ll hear news on that front in the coming weeks, although no names have been mentioned as being in contention just yet. THR was also able to confirm our report that Beau DeMayo was, in fact, brought on to rework the script.

    Blade is set to star Mahershala Ali in the title role, with the cast also including Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre. Also part of the cast is Milan Ray. The first draft of the screenplay was penned by Watchmen’s Stacy Osei-Kuffour. The film was set to hit theaters on Nov. 3rd, 2023.

    Source: THR.

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Blade’ Recruits ‘X-Men ’97’ and ‘Moon Knight’ Scribe Beau DeMayo

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Blade’ Recruits ‘X-Men ’97’ and ‘Moon Knight’ Scribe Beau DeMayo

    Beau DeMayo is becoming a go-to-guy for Marvel Studios. Part of the writer’s room for Moon Knight and the head writer and executive producer of X-Men ’97, the revival of the iconic X-Men: The Animated Series, it looks like DeMayo may have joined the crew of one of Marvel Studios’ most anticipated feature films, Blade.

    While Disney has not commented officially on it, DeMayo has taken up temporary residence in Atlanta where Blade is in pre-production. In a recent Instagram post first pointed out by a Murphy’s Multiverse Discord patron, DeMayo showed off the Atlanta skyline from what he called his “new office.” While there are other Marvel projects underway, as a writer DeMayo would almost certainly not be joining one that was already deep into production. After running through the possible scenarios, Blade becomes the only logical choice. The start of principal filming has been delayed several times, recently pushed from an October kickoff to November, potentially allowing DeMayo a pass at the script.

    Stacy Osei-Kuffour was brought on as the film’s writer in February of 2021 and the studio had originally intended to begin production in late Summer of 2022 ahead of the project’s November 3, 2023 release date. Looking back at the bread crumbs, it’s likely that DeMayo has been attached to the project for a month or two now to polish up an already finished script by Osei-Kuffor rather than completely rewrite the story. Having multiple writers take a pass at movie scripts has become a fairly common practice at Marvel Studios, using the opportunity to take advantage of the strengths of different writers. Having DeMayo in Atlanta as pre-production gets underway is entirely in line with Marvel Studios’ past precedent and gives the new writer time to work intensely and closely with the film’s cast and crew to ensure the script is tight before filming begins. At this point, there’s no expectation of the film’s release date being delayed, keeping it on track for a late-2023 release.

  • Kit Harrington Discusses Potential MCU Return as the Black Knight

    Kit Harrington Discusses Potential MCU Return as the Black Knight

    Following his appearance in Eternals, questions have been raised about the status of Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film’s post-credit tag definitely set the stage for his character to take on the superheroic mantle of the Black Knight. Between seemingly being about to reveal his family lineage to Sersi (before her abduction by Arishem the Judge) and retrieving the Ebony Blade, Marvel Studios made it clear there are bigger plans for his character beyond his supporting role in Eternals. 

    According to Kit Harrington, however, the plans for when he would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe remain unclear. In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actor discussed his uncertainty about what Marvel Studios has planned for him.

    I don’t know how much they’re planning. And you know, I hope to be involved in future stuff, with that character, with Dane Whitman, and that he might go on and be the thing that everyone quotes at me in the street. But I honestly don’t know. I don’t know what their plans are. I know they’re going into a kind of Phase 5.

    Kit Harrington

    While one can certainly take his quote at face value, a fair amount of skepticism that there are currently no plans for Kit Harrington to return as the Black Knight can also be applied. This is based on the well-documented history of actors feigning ignorance about their future at Marvel Studios, only to subsequently be revealed to be in a notable role for an upcoming project. A most recent example of this is Wyatt Russell’s denial of having any plans to be brought back as John Walker, and then being revealed just months later to be a lead in the upcoming Thunderbolts film.

    With that in mind, the most obvious place to anticipate a return for Harrington would be 2023’s Blade. It would serve as the obvious connection after the film’s star Mahershala Ali provided a voice cameo for the post-credit scene of Eternals. Though whether or not Kit Harrington does show up in Blade, it will be interesting to follow what character direction is taken with the Black Knight.

    Source: Happy Sad Confused

  • Mahershala Ali’s ‘Werewolf By Night’ Cameo Was Reportedly Cut

    Mahershala Ali’s ‘Werewolf By Night’ Cameo Was Reportedly Cut

    If you were one of the many fans confused at Mahershala Ali‘s random voice cameo at the end of Eternals then Werewolf By Night would have been the MCU project to make up for that confusion. A rumor from the Weekly Planet Podcast is claiming that Ali was originally supposed to make his live-action appearance in next month’s Werewolf By Night Halloween special but was cut due to scheduling problems. According to podcast host James Clement:

    Anyway, here’s a scoop, Mason… Blade, I can’t prove this, was originally set to debut in a Halloween special but was cut due to scheduling conflicts… Monster hunter, goes to a monster house. Makes sense, love that. It’s not happening, apparently.

    Announced 3 years ago in SDCC 2019, the Blade project has long been in the works. By the time the film releases next November, it’ll be 4 years since Ali was announced. With a project taking this long, it makes sense for Marvel Studios to introduce the character elsewhere while fans wait for the film. There’s no telling if there are other plans to have Blade appear in an upcoming film but fans are surely excited to see the character finally debut in the MCU.

    Source: Weekly Planet Podcast via MCU Direct

  • Ubisoft Debunks Rumors of In Development ‘Blade’ Game

    Ubisoft Debunks Rumors of In Development ‘Blade’ Game

    Just the other day, an Instagram post by Edwin Gaffey potentially hinted at what might turn out to be a game based on the popular vampire hunter Blade. There was no exact confirmation but with the word “Marvel” and a few online detectives, the rumors went around hoping to see the character’s first solo outing.

    Many also noticed the connection to Ubisoft making the hint that it could be an open-world game, but it looks like there isn’t one in development after all as Ubisoft has taken to its Twitter account to confirm that they aren’t actively working on a Blade game, but shared their enthusiasm for the upcoming MCU adaptation. It’s probably the first in a long time that a rumor had a life of its own that ended up leading to them having to outright debunk it.

    Ubisoft has a reputation for how they design their games, but it does open the question if they are potentially working on a different Marvel project. Of course, it could be just a production title that may have been accidentally misled as it was meant for a different project. Of course, we won’t know for sure until further details are revealed on whatever this game might end up being but there’s still an upcoming streaming event that could confirm what it might be.

    Source: Twitter

  • Ubisoft May Be Developing a ‘Blade’ Game for Marvel

    Ubisoft May Be Developing a ‘Blade’ Game for Marvel

    There have been quite a few rumors about upcoming games making the rounds. While the only confirmed projects we know of are the Spider-Man sequel from Insomniac and even a new game from them based on Wolverine, it seems a few images may have hinted at the next major project. Edwin Gaffey has taken to his Instagram to share that he’s finished mo-cap work on a game. In it, you can clearly see that one of the clapperboards has “Marvel” on it.

    Some sleuths have already made the connection that this is very likely a game based around Blade. The character is set to arrive in an upcoming game titled Midnight Sun, but this developer seems to be Ubisoft and not Firaxis. So, we might be getting a new game based around the vampire hunter at some point and with the upcoming Marvel/Disney gaming live-stream during D23 we could see this get an announcement.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CgfAcjoofAH/

    It looks like Marvel has quite a few plans to expand in the gaming market. We’ve recently learned of a canceled Iron Man game from 2012 but they’ve recently been trying out more ideas. While some may not have enjoyed Marvel’s Avengers as much, there’s still something unique to the project, and offers something that we haven’t seen them do. For years, we had cheaply made tie-in games to movies with only a few exceptions actually standing out. Now, we have some strong story-based projects that offer unique and memorable experiences.

    Source: Instagram, ComicBook.com

  • REPORT: ‘Black Panther’s Costume Designer Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    REPORT: ‘Black Panther’s Costume Designer Joins Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade’

    We’ve long been waiting for any real update on the upcoming adaptation of Blade, as Marvel Studios attempts to give the iconic franchise its own MCU spin. Mahershala Ali is set to take on the titular role. Bassam Tariq is set to direct an adaptation from writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour but there’s still been no real update on when exactly it may ramp up production.

    Luckily, it seems we may have gotten a small update on the project, as according to Sky News’ Will Mavity, the costume designer for Black Panther and Malcolm X, Ruth E. Carter, has joined the production to continue her work. She also recently worked on projects like Dolemite Is My Name and Coming 2 America, and went on to win an Academy Award for her costume work on the first Black Panther film. so, she makes for a great addition to the production team.

    Carter makes for a great addition and it’ll be interesting to see what she brings to the table. Blade as a character has been heavily defined by his look introduced in the Wesley Snipes films. So, they may take inspiration from that and add a few unique flourishes to make it stand out from its predecessor. We’ll have to wait and see for now, as we wait for any official update from Marvel.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘John Wick’ Director Had Discussions With Marvel Studios to Tackle ‘Blade’

    ‘John Wick’ Director Had Discussions With Marvel Studios to Tackle ‘Blade’

    The John Wick franchise has been nothing but successful for Lionsgate and filmmaker Chad Stahelski. After spending years as a stunt coordinator and second unit director on various projects, Stahelski received his big break helming the Wick films, which launched him into stardom and helped rejuvenate Keanu Reeves’ career.

    Apparently, the series also earned Stahelski a meeting with Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, whom he’d worked with before as the second unit on Captain America: Civil War, as stated by Stahelski during a recent interview with Comic Book. According to the director, Feige set up some time for a chat that meant a lot more than the producer might have realized:

    Marvel was very influential in my career. I owe them a great deal. Kevin [Feige] is an awesome guy and I’ve worked for him many times on second unit. After John Wick 3, he was nice enough to carve out a big chunk of time and have a nice talk. He’s been a…in a way…a very strong mentor, even though it was a short period of time. I’ve only talked to him a few times, but he has been very influential in mindset and how to do it.

    Chad Stahelski

    While the meeting seems to have been a general one, Stahelski revealed that Feige did inquire about signing him to a future project. Stahelski apparently only had one in mind:

    And he 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.

    Chad Stahelski

    Blade, which was announced in 2019 with Mahershala Ali attached to the starring role, is now set to be directed by Bassam Tariq and will release on November 3rd, 2023. The Mogul Mowgli creative will bring to life a script from Stacy Osei-Kuffour, with Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre having since joined the cast. Stahelski, on the other hand, is busy preparing for John Wick: Chapter 4 to drop on March 24th, 2023.

    He has yet to direct anything outside the John Wick franchise, but perhaps his meeting with Marvel Studios will open the door for something else down the line. After all, there is no shortage of opportunities in Marvel’s plans for the next decade.

    Source: Comic Book

  • SDCC: ‘Blade’ Officially Starting Production in October

    SDCC: ‘Blade’ Officially Starting Production in October

    We got shockingly little information on Blade at Marvel Studios’ presentation in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. We saw it listed on the Phase 5 slate, where it was officially given a November 3rd, 2023 release date, but any sort of casting announcement was absent from the presentation. The bright side is that we have a confirmed start window for production on the film thanks to a press release from Disney following the panel.

    Disney has confirmed that Blade will indeed begin shooting this fall, officially starting production in October of this year. The film was originally believed to begin filming sometime this summer, but seems to have hit some sort of delay resulting in a fall start date now.

    ““BLADE,” which begins shooting this October and opens in theaters Nov. 3, 2023.”

    Disney

    We can definitely assume that Marvel Studios will feature the film much more come September when the D23 convention rolls around and we have a whole bunch of new announcements from the house of mouse. While little remains known about the film, the cast has begun to grow quite a bit in the past few months, as Marvel Studios prepares to bring the Daywalker into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    The cast for Blade includes Academy Award winning actor Mahershala Ali, Delroy Lindo, and Aaron Pierre, with Milan Ray also reportedly joining the cast. Plot details for the film are still currently under wraps along with the roles for Lindo, Pierre, and Ray who have yet to be officially announced by Marvel Studios.

    SOURCE: Disney

  • The Hypothetical 2023 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V4

    The Hypothetical 2023 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V4

    Once upon a time, this looked like it might be headed for a 2022 release. But with reshoots having to be spread out over several months due to actor availability, it’s clearly not going to be ready. It should, however, be ready to roll out in early 2023 and with principal photography done and finishing touches left to go, expect Secret Invasion to be the first Marvel Studios project of 2023.

    This one has bounced around a bit in terms of release date, but it is absolutely the furthest along of the 2023 films. This time around, expect BIG action and stakes as the Ant-family takes on Jonathan Majors‘ Kang and Corey Stoll’s MODOK (who we hear looks absolutely fabulous). Marvel Studios may let the hype train out of the station earlier than normal on this one.

    One of at least two animated series headed to Disney Plus in 2023, the X-Men revival already has a ton of buzz around it. Work was being done on the episodes long before anyone knew it existed, so its ten episodes could be ready to roll out on D+ sometime late in the first quarter of 2023.

    Currently cruising through production, the Hawkeye spinoff will definitely be ready for a late-Spring/early-Summer release unless the wheels fall off. Not only will this bring Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Kingpin back, but it’s also set to really explore Native American culture

    James Gunn‘s last go-around with the team he made famous in 2014, Vol. 3 has quite the cast and could end up being one of the MCU’s biggest tearjerkers. It’s also going to be full of surprises (will Cosmo have a voice?) and while it’s the end for Gunn and some of the cast, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end for everyone.

    With production well underway in the UK, Loki’s second season will have no problem making it to D+ for the Summer of 2023. Interestingly, it could come out just about 2 years to the day after the first season, which is cool but way too long to wait after that Season 1 cliffhanger!

    The Nia DaCosta led sequel to Captain Marvel moved back to mid-Summer and after Carol Danvers’ mid-credit appearance in the Ms. Marvel finale, fans finally have an inkling of what this one is all about. In every way possible, this film is a huge shift from the original and should be an action-packed reinvention of the franchise in the way The Winter Solider was for the MCU’s other Captain.

    Production is underway on Ironheart and by the time this one hits Disney Plus, fans will have already gotten to know the lead from her time in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It looks like this one will also feature The Hood, one of Marvel Comics coolest baddies yet to make the jump to the MCU.

    Set to debut in 2023, it would make sense to start the animated series in time for it to play during peak Spooky Season. With a full-length Marvel Studios Animation panel at SDCC, it seems like a first look at this is pretty likely, giving fans an idea of its connectivity to the Zombie reality seen in Season 1 of What If…?.

    Blade is finally set to get production underway in September of 2022, giving the studio plenty of time to turn it around for November of 2023. Marvel Studios has been known to slide release dates up a week or so in the past; it would be smart of them to do so here to capitalize on the urge for fans to watch horror films in October.

    The project on this list about which the least is known. It is supposed to film in the Fall of 2022 so a late 2023 release date makes sense. However, Marvel Studios production dates are more fluid now than ever, so don’t etch this one into your stone calendar just yet.