©Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios is reportedly shelving plans to continue with the development of its long-promised Blade film.
The project had first been announced in 2021, with actor Mahershala Ali making his screen debut as Blade, the vampire slayer. Since then, several writers and directors have tried their hand at the proposed film, accounting for the delay in production. Among the screenwriters who passed through the revolving door have been Beau DeMayo, Michael Green, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Eric Pearson, Nic Pizzolatto, and Michael Starrbury.
News of the reported cancellation was first reported by Jeff Sneider on his podcast, The Hot Mic, where he was quoted as saying: “I’m hearing Blade is dead and it’s a Midnight Sons movie. [Blade] will not be introduced in a solo movie. He will be introduced in Midnight Sons.” Again, this is just a rumor for now, so fans should take it with a grain of salt.”
Commenting on these reports, Chris Agar wrote on comicbook.com that a new Midnight Sons movie would be an advantageous strategy for the MCU. “In addition to serving as a launchpad for Ali’s Blade, a Midnight Sons movie would be an opportunity to continue arcs for characters Marvel fans haven’t seen in years,” he stated, adding that “Moon Knight’s future has been a hot topic of speculation since his miniseries premiered back in 2022. If Marvel doesn’t have plans to make a second season of the show, Moon Knight could return in Midnight Sons, giving Oscar Isaac a chance to further develop a compelling character.”
It is also being speculated by Agar that the shelving of Blade is part of Marvel president Kevin Feige’s strategy of reducing the number of new releases in the wake of the “unevenness” of the Multiverse Saga. As Agar put it, “It’s possible the higher-ups feel it’s better to make a team-up movie instead of a film revolving around a single hero. That way, they can efficiently bring multiple characters to the forefront without oversaturating the marketplace with a bunch of movies and shows.”
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