Wesley Snipes' version was one for the books but it is already outdated so now, as the Daywalker enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Blade reboot, here is everything you need to know about the Blade movie with the release date and time, countdown, spoilers, theories, plots, previews, and the rest of it.
Marvel's Blade Release Date: When Will the Marvel Movie Come Out?
Originally set for a September 6, 2024 release date, following the exit of Bassam Tariq as the director of the reboot, Marvel's Blade was pushed to release February 14, 2025, at least that's what Marvel Studios says.
At the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel's Blade was a part of the MCU Phase Five with a release date of November 3, 2023.
However, multiple setbacks plagued its production, including script rewrites and alleged drama behind the scenes.
Reports even surfaced just recently that lead star Mahershala nearly abandoned the project because of the said issues.
Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed in the end and Ali was persuaded to stay after Logan co-writer Michael Green joined to pen a new script.
As of writing, the Blade film is slated to hit the cinemas on February 14, 2025. Considering that there are plenty of ongoing MCU projects, though, it wouldn't be a surprise if this film ends up getting another delay in the future.
Marvel's Blade Cast: Who Are the Actors Included in the Movie?
Blade graced the big screen with Wesley Snipes in the 1998 film of the same name by Stephen Norrington.
It takes one to know that the other would be great and with Wesley Snipes donning the title of Blade many moons ago, he finally shared his thoughts about his predecessor in the upcoming Blade reboot of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mahershala Ali.
Wesley Snipes took this to Twitter where he retweeted someone who claimed Ali would have a challenge to outdo his version, to which Snipes simply said, “He will do great.”
Ali will be joined by Kit Harrington back as Dane Whitman, along with other actors with undisclosed roles such as Delroy Lindo, Aaron Pierre, Mia Goth, and Antony Starr.
Starr is speculated to play the role of Dracula in the movie, but again, nothing has been confirmed yet.
[This article will be updated if there would be additional cast members.]
Marvel's Blade Crew: Who are the Creative Minds Behind the Scenes?
Blade is from the comic book character of the same name penned by Marv Wolfman and illustrated by Gene Colan who first appeared in The Tomb of Dracula #10 in 1973 before having his very own series.
Carrying the reflection of Marvel in diversity and representation, only Black writers were considered for the huge task ahead. Ali himself was directly involved in the process of choosing the writer and director.
Stacy Osei-Kuffour, the first Black female scribe to ever write for a Marvel film, had been selected to write the reboot of Blade. She is best known for being the story editor and writer for HBO's series Watchmen.
With the traction behind the scenes, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto has been tapped to write the screenplay of the movie, instead.
Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter who designed the wardrobe of Black Panther will be joining the team as the costume designer for the Blade reboot as reported by film journalist Will Mavity.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures will be distributing the reboot of Blade and it will be produced by Kevin Feige.
The reboot supposedly be directed by Bassam Tariq. However, it has been confirmed that Tariq is no longer attached to the project and this means that the production and filming of the movie originally scheduled in November 2022 was put to a halt.
Marvel revealed to The Hollywood Reporter:
“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.”
Bassam Tariq showed his gratitude to Marvel, “It’s 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.”
Lovecraft Country's Yann Demange has been tapped as the replacement for Bassam Tariq.
In a report from industry insider Jeff Sneider in The Hot Mic podcast, it has been revealed that one of the reasons why there is a delay in the upcoming Blade reboot is that the lead actor of the movie, Oscar Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali had some frustrations on the script.
Unfortunately, Blade continues to face massive delays including the current strike of the Writers Guild of America which froze the production of the series to a halt.
After the strike, the production of Blade is set to have a restart as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Marvel's Blade Plot: What Will Be the Plot of the Movie?
Marvel’s Blade is about the Daywalker who hunts vampires hunting the undead who have long preyed on humanity.
A half-human, half-vampire from his tragic birth, Eric Brooks, more commonly known as Blade, has supernatural abilities of immunity to vampire bites and a longer lifespan due to his regenerative healing.
Blade also developed super strength and agility from his vampiric origins.
Orphaned at a very young age, Blade spent his waking years in revenge for his mother, Tara Brooks, who had been killed by vampires which led him to master his own fighting style to combat monsters of every kind.
Recently, Blade made a semi-debut in the MCU in the film, Eternals, where, in the post-credits scene, his voice was heard asking Dane Whitman if he is ready to take on the challenge of his family name.
As the addition of Dane Whitman as the Black Knight, having Blade in the narrative would make it easier for Whitman to adjust to his new life fighting and stopping monsters and vampires.
From then on, Mahershala Ali will surely show greater feats and it is exciting to have him in the MCU, expanding the universe as we all know it.
In an interview with Gizmodo, the director of Blade, Bassam Tariq teased that the story will be something different, "What’s so great is it’s not as boxed in as I think people imagine it to be, which I thought it was. But it’s quite exciting, and I think the reality is there is no Blade canon."
Tariq added: "In some comics, his name is Fred H. Blade, you know, instead of Eric Brooks. Unfortunately, the runs never lasted that long, and there have been some interesting and exciting waves. But I can say [the new movie is] character first."
What Will the Blade Reboot Film Be Rated?
Blade director Yann Demange recently confirmed that the MCU reboot for the Daywalker film will be R-rated, as per Deadline:
"They gave me the R, which is so important. We are going to have fun because Mahershala is such a deep actor. I'm excited to show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has, that allows him to walk the earth in a particular way. I love him for that. He's got dignity and integrity, but there is a ferocity there that he usually keeps under the surface. I want to unleash that and put it on the screen."
This would mark Blade as yet another addition to Marvel's growing roster of R-rated films and series, counting the upcoming Echo on Disney Plus. An R rating for the vampire hunter would do wonders for the film's imagination.
Where to Watch Marvel's Blade?
Marvel's Blade is set to release in theaters sometime in 2025 and it is expected that the movie will be out on Disney Plus the same way as other MCU movies did in the past which spans 45 days from the time of the movie's release in theaters.
Is There a Trailer for Marvel's Blade?
Unfortunately, there is no trailer yet for Marvel's Blade. There is still a long way to go if one would wait for a trailer since the production has not even started yet.
Should there be one, the earliest possible release would be in mid- to late-2024.
Monsters and vampires, beware, Blade is finally making his debut, and this time, he will be in a Marvel Cinematic Universe canon. Are you excited to see Mahershala Ali as the Daywalker who slays the allies of darkness?
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