Marvel remains ‘committed’ to Blade, despite removing it from the release calendar

Five years after announcing a reboot of Blade set within the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel… still hasn’t made a reboot of Blade set within the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans got a tease — remember that post-credits scene in Eternals? — but theoretical star Mahershala Ali has yet to appear on screen as the vampire-slaying daywalker. The turbulent development was extraordinary to make headlines; after cycling through a number of writers and directors, Ali’s lawyer went out and called the project “the craziest thing in my professional experience.” Disney eventually removed Blade from its 2025 release calendar.

If that leads you to believe Blade is dead, think again: Kevin Feige, speaking out of Brazil D23 on Saturday, took the main stage to parade around completed projects and give updates on the development slate. But in a follow-up interview with the Brazilian fan site Omelete, Feige assured judgy onlookers that Ali’s version of the character was still poised to hit screens.

“We’re committed to Blade,” Feige said (via translation). “We love the character, we love Mahershala’s version of him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still trying to figure out how it fits into our schedule, we let the public know. You’re up to date on what’s going on. But I can tell you that the character will be coming to the MCU.”

Marvel has three movies slated for next year: Captain America: Brave New World (Feb. 14), Thunderbolts (May 5), and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25). Marvel won’t disappear in the fall either, with new Disney Plus series Eyes of Wakanda and Wonder Man set to premiere in the window. But no Blade, which currently has no writer or director publicly attached. You can read more about the entire Blade making-of saga in this timeline breakdown.