Wesley Snipes has recently commented on the delays surrounding Marvel’s highly anticipated Blade reboot.
Back in 2019, Marvel announced at San Diego Comic-Con that they would be reviving the original Blade film trilogy, which was released between 1998 and 2004. However, the project has faced numerous setbacks, including the departure of two directors and last year’s writers’ strikes. Originally slated for a November 2023 release, the film’s progress has been significantly delayed.
Snipes, who portrayed the iconic vampire hunter in all three original films, addressed the delay with a touch of humor. In a post on his official X account, the actor wrote, “Blade, lordylordylordy. Folks still lookin for the secret sauce, ridin snowmobiles in traffic, kinda rough.”
He added, “Daywalkers make it look easy, don’t they?”
The updated release date for the Blade reboot is now set for November 7, 2025. However, the recent departure of director Yann Demange may cause further delays. The reboot is set to star Mahershala Ali, a double-Oscar winner, in the titular role, alongside Pearl star Mia Goth.
Despite the setbacks, Ali remains optimistic about the film’s progress. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly last year, the Green Book star shared his positive outlook, saying, “I’m sincerely encouraged in terms of where things are at and who’s on board and who’s leading the way as far as the writing of the script and the directing and all that.”
The script for the Blade reboot has seen contributions from more than five writers, including True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto and The Fantastic Four’s Eric Pearson.
In other Marvel news, Disney’s CEO has confirmed that the studio will be releasing fewer movies in the future. As part of an overall strategy to focus on the quality of content rather than quantity, the number of Marvel projects will be reduced. Bob Iger, the studio head, stated, “We’re slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three.”
Original Blade star Wesley Snipes has been poking fun at Marvel Studios as they continue to struggle with the reboot. Following the news of the project losing its second director, Yann Demange, Snipes took to social media to tease, “Blade, lordylordylordy. Folks still lookin for the secret sauce, ridin snowmobiles in traffic, kinda rough. Daywalkers make it look easy, don’t they?”
Before Demange signed on, Mogul Mowgli’s Bassam Tariq was lined up to direct the film but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Marvel has been having a tough time getting this movie off the ground. Mahershala Ali is still attached to star in the film, and his attorney, Shelby Weiser, recently commented on the state of the project, saying, “That deal was in 2019, and they still haven’t shot it, which is pretty much the craziest thing in my professional experience.”
Weiser added, “I’m sure that one day Marvel will actually figure this out and get Blade into production.”
While fans wait for the reboot, there’s a chance they might see Snipes back in the role of Blade, as he’s been rumored to return. If true, he will most likely appear in Deadpool & Wolverine. Blade will be the second R-rated film to come out of Marvel Studios, following Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds’ upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine.
It was previously reported that Marvel is looking to go with “a darker tone on this film than other MCU projects have been in the past.” Mia Goth and Delroy Lindo are also attached to star in the movie. The script for the film is currently being developed by The Fantastic Four writer Eric Pearson.
