“So, how many times do I have to put you in the ground?” — Eric Brooks (aka Blade)
To be honest, I was never a huge fan of Blade in the comics. It was OK; just not my thing, I guess. But, I enjoyed the film trilogy starring Wesley Snipes, especially the first one. And I like Mahershala Ali in the few things I’ve seen him in (e.g., “The 4400”, “Alphas”, “Marvel’s Luke Cage”). So, I’ve been looking forward to the new Blade film, announced back in 2019, that will star Ali. My one reservation is that Ali is 50 years old, and I think someone in his mid-30s to early-40s — like Snipes was for his trilogy — would be preferable.
Delroy Lindo (“The Good Fight”) and Mia Goth (Pearl) were added to the cast in undisclosed roles, and they (along with Ali) are still attached, though Lindo may possibly move to a vampire project by Ryan Coogler. That is all of the casting announcements made for this project, so far. On a side note, it would be nice to see a cameo or three from other, established MCU characters (e.g., Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Punisher, Daredevil, Werewolf by Night).
The Blade production, however, has experienced a number of setbacks. For example, original scriptwriter Stacy Osei-Kuffour (“Watchmen”) was replaced by Beau DeMayo (“The Originals”). Then Michael Starrbury (“Colin in Black & White”) was brought in for a rewrite, as were Nic Pizzolatto (“True Detective”) and Michael Green (Logan). Eric Pearson (Godzilla vs. Kong) is currently head of scriptwriting. The film’s IMDB listing currently gives writing & scripting credit to Green, Osei-Kuffour, Pizzolatto, and Starrbury.
Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli) was originally set to direct, but he left his scripting duties due to production scheduling issues. He remains as executive producer, though. (Marvel’s Kevin Feige also produces.) French-Algerian director/producer Yann Demange (“Lovecraft Country”) then signed on to helm, but it was announced just days ago that he has left the project, too. As I go to press, no replacement has been named.
There have been additional delays due to things like temporary shutdown of pre-production during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Originally tentatively slated for 2022, release dates of Nov. 3, 2023, and Sep. 6, 2024, have come and gone. The film is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on Nov. 7, 2025, but it is possible that the very recent loss of Demange as director may push it back yet again. Feige has indicated that the film will likely be rated ‘PG-13’, but a switch to ‘R’ is still possible once they finalize the story and get into production.
There ya have it. Here’s hopin’ that they find a good director soon, polish a great story/script, and get it in the can, so they can meet the Nov. 2025 release date.
Heroes and Aliens 