The Mahershala Blade is claimed to be dead, at least as a solo movie.
That’s the latest from industry insider Jeff Sneider, who reports that Marvel Studios has scrapped plans for a standalone Blade film and will now introduce the character as part of a team-up movie instead.
“He will not be introduced in a solo movie,” Sneider said on The Hot Mic. “He’ll be introduced in Midnight Sons.”
This marks yet another twist in the long and troubled development of Blade, which was first announced nearly seven years ago at San Diego Comic-Con 2019.
Despite having Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali attached since day one, the project has faced constant setbacks, from losing directors to scrapped scripts, and major creative overhauls.
Blade Movie Officially Dead?
While Marvel hasn’t confirmed anything, this new rumor tracks with recent developments.
Last summer, Variety reported Marvel had “no sense of urgency” around Blade, and recently, Mia Goth, rumored to play Lilith, confirmed the movie reached costume fitting and chemistry testing stages, only to fall apart.
Kevin Feige himself recently admitted they went through at least four versions of the film, including two set in the past. One of those reportedly focused on Blade’s daughter, sidelining Mahershala Ali. That version was scrapped, and some of its costumes were repurposed for Ryan Coogler’s, Sinners.
What Is Midnight Sons?
Midnight Sons is Marvel’s darker, supernatural team, typically made up of Blade, Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, and others. Marvel has already introduced characters like Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night, so the path is set for a potential crossover.
The move to shift Blade into a team setting may be Marvel’s attempt to salvage what’s left of the project, while also streamlining its slate amid superhero fatigue and a company-wide reset.
Worth a mention if Blade and/or Midnight Sons ever does happen, it will happen after the release of Secret Wars in 2027. So that’s basically a decade after Mahershala Ali and Kevin Feige first announced a project.
