The eagerly awaited Blade movie appears to have hit a dead end, leaving fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) disheartened. The project, which promised to bring Mahershala Ali into the fold as the iconic Daywalker, has faced numerous setbacks, and recent updates suggest it might be permanently shelved. This news is particularly disappointing as Ali's portrayal of Blade was highly anticipated.

Rapper and artist Flying Lotus recently took to X / Twitter to share his involvement in the project, revealing that he was set to compose the music for Blade before the film fell through. "I guess we are so far from it even being a possibility now but. Yeah I was signed on to write music for the new BLADE movie before it fell thru," he posted. Expressing doubt about the project's revival, he added, "Maybe it'll come around again but I doubt it. Would have been fun tho."

Just a day before Flying Lotus's tweet, acclaimed costume designer Ruth E. Carter appeared on The John Campea Show and confirmed her involvement with Blade before its production collapsed. She disclosed that the film was intended to be set in the 1920s, which would have provided a unique setting for captivating costume and production design.

Adding to the series of unfortunate updates, actor Delroy Lindo, who was set to star alongside Ali, shared his thoughts on the project's derailment with Entertainment Weekly. "When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," Lindo said. He described the initial excitement and inclusivity in the development process but lamented, "And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails."

Announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, Blade was expected to hit theaters in November of the current year if everything had gone according to plan. The film has seen multiple directors, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, come and go without success.

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Despite the turmoil, it's been only six months since Blade was removed from Marvel's release schedule in October 2024, and no new release date has been set. However, MCU head Kevin Feige has reassured fans that the studio remains committed to the project. In a November 2024 interview with Omelete, Feige stated, "We are committed to Blade. We love the character, we love Mahershala's take on him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know. You're all up to date on what's happening. But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."