Just weeks ahead of MCU’s Blade reboot shooting schedule, the film which had spent 3 tedious years in development limbo, now loses its director Bassam Tariq. The fallout of that exit is manifold, with the most recent rumors of Blade lead actor, Mahershala Ali getting agitated with the mounting behind-the-scenes drama. Although no official statement has been delivered by the Marvel Studios chief as to the aftermath of the director’s exit, the speculations about Marvel undergoing production troubles are being found increasingly believable.
Also read: Blade Theory: Blade Is After Wanda’s Darkhold For the Montesi Formula Spell That Kills All Vampires
Kevin Feige “Spread too thin” With MCU Projects
In recent news, troubling details about the ongoing situation at Marvel HQ have come to light, beginning with Kevin Feige running out of fingers to put into the numerous pies that he put into motion. Marvel’s success has always depended upon the visionary genius of this one man at the top, so much so that his name now invokes a feeling of awe and inspired Warner Bros. Discovery to set out in search of their very own Kevin Feige. But the dilemma of having one person in charge is that current projects don’t end up getting the in-depth attention of the master weaver as much as the Phase 1 to 3 projects did.
Jeff Sneider of The Ankler lit the match to these speculations when he reported,
“I’m told that the current BLADE script is roughly 90 pages and features exactly TWO (lackluster) action sequences. Mahershala said to be very frustrated with the process. Feige said to be spread too thin. But hey, that’s just what sources are telling me.”
The speculations additionally stand out since Marvel Studios has increased their production output in recent years since the release of Endgame with an avalanche of projects simultaneously undergoing multiple week-long reshoots or undergoing pre-production or in development limbo with no end in sight.
Blade Reboot – Release Date, Plot, Cast Details
The reboot of the 1999 and early 2000s trilogy starring Wesley Snipes aka Blade was announced in 2019 and was received with much fan appreciation and praise. With the additional juxtaposition of the brilliant Mahershala Ali stepping into the lead role of the Dhampir human-vampire hybrid hunter, the crowd had essentially gone wild with excitement. Bassam Tariq who was expected to start filming the reboot by October will now be serving as an executive producer on the project instead. Marvel later acknowledged the director’s exit via a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, thanking him for “all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.”
In the aftermath of Tariq’s exit, the film will reportedly undergo a full rewrite. The ex-director had previously sung immense praises of Blade‘s original writer extraordinaire, Staci Osei-Kuffour, who had been involved with such powerhouse projects as The Watchmen and The Morning Show. Osei-Kuffour will now be replaced by X-Men ’97 writer, Beau DeMayo, who will build Blade‘s story back up from scratch. In keeping with the constant production delays and the added load of a rewrite, it seems like the film which was initially planned for a November 2023 premiere could be pushed into a 2024 release instead.
Who is the Villain in MCU’s Blade Reboot?
Since Eternals’ release, the post-credit scene had perfectly set up the introduction of Blade into the Marvel mainstream universe. Although the scene never exclusively featured Mahershala Ali, his brief and no-nonsense introduction set the tone for his role in the MCU fighting monsters and keeping the vampires from extinguishing the human race. The Eternals post-credits also set up Kit Harington‘s Dane Whitman aka the Black Knight as a potential nemesis of the vampire hunter.
Moreover, considering how Marvel is shifting more towards the supernatural aspects of its comics, leaving behind the aliens and the robots, it could also mean that Dracula, one of history’s and of course, Blade’s most prominent foes could be stepping into MCU. Interestingly enough, Beau DeMayo, who has also notably worked on Moon Knight could clash the two worlds of MCU by setting up Blade against Khonshu, as per the comics.
The potentials of the reboot story are vast in every measure. Staci Osei-Kuffour’s original and now-slashed script had included a period piece with a plot taking place in the 1920s, followed by several time jumps. Hopefully, Beau DeMayo can bring something even more eccentric and memorable of the slash horror genre to the film, considering how Feige had preferred the Moon Knight writer over Osei-Kuffour.
Blade is currently slated to premiere on November 3, 2023.
Source: The Direct
