I previously wrote that Ryan Coogler’s Sinners movie seemed like the Black Panther director’s take on Blade, and now it turns out that wasn’t too far off.
Sinners actually used costumes from Marvel’s canceled Blade movie.
And if you’re an MCU fan, yes, the project got far enough that costumes were made, so you can check out Sinners for what-could-have-been.
What happened?
Sinners and Marvel’s scrapped Blade project were both period films set in the 1930s. They also feature vampires. Of course, Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, and Hailee Steinfeld are all attached to Marvel.
Speaking with Screen Crush, Sinners producer Sev Ohanian revealed Marvel let them purchase the Blade costumes.
“[Costume designer] Ruth Carter was working on the Blade movie that ended up not shooting,” Ohanian explained. “At one point that movie was going to deal with, and she’s talked about this before, but at one point that film was going to deal with the past around the same era as Sinners. She happened to have a warehouse full of period-appropriate clothes, and it was like, ‘Yo, we got to shoot this movie like tomorrow.’ And Marvel was generous enough and kind enough to let us basically purchase it at price.”
The producer added that “a lot of the background actors” in Sinners wore the clothes meant for Blade while the stars had original costumes.
What’s next for Marvel’s Blade?
Marvel’s Blade is still up in the air with no release date. The film was first announced at Comic-Con back in 2019.
Reports claimed the story focused on Blade in the past and centered around his daughter, who was set to replace him in the MCU—fitting with Kevin Feige’s post-Endgame approach. Reportedly, Mahershala Ali pushed back against that narrative, which is why Blade still hasn’t gotten off the ground.
In line with the news that Marvel sold the costumes, the latest rumors offer that Blade is now set in modern times.
Mahershala Ali stars in Jurassic World: Rebirth, which is now playing in theaters.
While promoting the movie, the two-time Oscar winner was asked about Blade, he said, “Call Marvel. I’m ready. Let them know I’m ready.”
