Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has voiced his disappointment regarding the protracted development of the Mahershala Ali-starring Blade film. Announced in 2019, the project has faced significant production hurdles, leading to multiple changes in writers and directors and its eventual removal from Marvel's release schedule.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Feige described the situation as making him feel like "a gigantic loser and failure that we didn’t get off the ground with Mahershala [Ali]." The film was initially revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with Ali making a surprise appearance to announce his involvement.
Since then, the project has seen Blade briefly appear in a post-credits scene for Eternals, but a standalone film has remained elusive. While Feige stated he is "very excited that we got Wesley [Snipes] back for a time" in the recently released Deadpool & Wolverine, the prospect of a dedicated Mahershala Ali Blade movie appears increasingly unlikely. Rumors persist of Blade potentially featuring in a Midnight Suns film, but the original plans for a solo outing seem to have been abandoned.
Despite the setbacks with the Blade film, director Bassam Tariq, who was previously attached to the project, has collaborated with Mahershala Ali on a new action thriller titled "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother." The film features Ali as a religious hitman tasked with protecting his children.
Marvel Studios is expected to provide updates on upcoming MCU projects, potentially including further details on Blade-related developments, during their official presentation at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 25th. Feige is slated to be joined by special guests to discuss future Marvel Studios productions.