Wesley Snipes, the original “Blade” star, has taken to social media to comment on the ongoing difficulties faced by the Marvel Cinematic Universe in developing a new “Blade” movie. The film, which will feature Oscar winner Mahershala Ali as the iconic vampire hunter, has encountered several setbacks.
The latest issue arose on June 12, when it was revealed that director Yann Demange had left the project. In his place, screenwriter Eric Pearson, known for his work on “The Fantastic Four,” “Black Widow,” and “Thor: Ragnarok,” has been brought on board.
Snipes reacted to the news on Twitter with a humorous tone, saying, “Blade, lordylordylordy,” accompanied by a side-eye emoji. He added, “Folks still lookin for the secret sauce, ridin snowmobiles in traffic, kinda rough. Daywalkers make it look easy, don’t they?”
Marvel first announced the new “Blade” movie with Ali in July 2019. Initially, Bassam Tariq was set to direct, but he exited the project in September 2022, just two months before filming was scheduled to begin. Over the years, several screenwriters have been attached to the project, including “Watchmen” writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour and Michael Starrbury.
By November of last year, Variety reported that “Blade” had gone through at least five different writers. One source familiar with the script changes mentioned that the story had, at one point, evolved into a narrative led by women and filled with life lessons. There was also speculation that Marvel was aiming to produce the film on a budget of less than $100 million.
Snipes originally brought the character of Blade to life in the 1998 film of the same name. He reprised the role in 2002’s “Blade II,” directed by Guillermo del Toro, and 2004’s “Blade: Trinity.” Stephen Dorff, who co-starred with Snipes in the first movie, has also mocked Marvel’s struggles to get the new “Blade” off the ground.
“Marvel is used to me trashing them anyway,” Dorff told The Daily Beast last year. “How’s that PG ‘Blade’ movie going for you, that can’t get a director? [laughs] Because anybody who goes there is going to be laughed at by everyone, because we already did it and made it the best. There’s no [original ‘Blade’ director] Steve Norrington out there.”
Despite the challenges, Marvel’s “Blade” is still on the release calendar for November 7, 2025. Fans of the franchise are eagerly awaiting to see how the new film will compare to the original trilogy and whether it can overcome its development hurdles.
