What’s Taking ‘Blade’ So Long? New Reports Claim That Mahershala Ali Is One of the Biggest Problems of the Ongoing Production

‘Blade,’ an eagerly anticipated Marvel Studios project, faced challenges long before the onset of strikes. This MCU film follows Eric Brooks, a renowned vampire hunter, and serves as a reboot of the beloved ‘Blade’ trilogy that helped shape the current MCU landscape.

Summarizing the numerous setbacks of ‘Blade’ proves difficult. Mahershala Ali, who pitched the idea to the studio and was announced as Blade in 2018, has seen the project endure ongoing script issues and multiple changes in writers and directors during its development.

Several months after parting ways with Yan Demange, the director of the movie, revelations are emerging. Sources from The Hollywood Reporter suggest that Mahershala Ali has wielded significant influence over the project.

Ali, involved in the ‘Blade’ project since 2019, handpicked Demange after Bassam Tariq’s departure in September 2022. Marvel initially provided Ali with a list of directors, but Ali, skeptical of their studio experience, conducted his own search and chose Demange. Rumors now circulate that Ali and Demange separated due to difficulties in their working relationship…

Mahershala Ali’s influence on the ‘Blade’ project began after his interest post-Oscar win for ‘Green Book,’ envisioning it as his ‘Black Panther.’ Despite plans to start filming in May 2023 and hiring writer Nic Pizzolatto, strikes by writers and actors led to significant delays affecting everyone’s schedules.

Since then, the project has undergone multiple changes, including writer shifts to Michael Green. Originally planned as a period piece focusing on Blade’s daughter and Lilith, it now centers on Blade in present-day, hunting vampires. Mia Goth remains attached to her role, and the train set built for the movie will be repurposed for another Disney project.

Ali’s attorney, Shelby Weiser, voiced frustration over the prolonged delays in the ‘Blade’ project, highlighting that despite the agreement in 2019, filming has yet to commence. The project encountered setbacks due to the pandemic, Disney’s shift towards streaming, and Marvel’s excessive production commitments. Sources suggest ‘Blade’ suffered from neglect amid Marvel’s extensive development pipeline.

There are rumors circulating that Ali may step away from ‘Blade,’ possibly due to his speculated involvement in the upcoming ‘Jurassic World’ film.

While the exact expenditures on ‘Blade’ by Marvel remain undisclosed, the studio remains committed to the project. Marvel has prioritized a meticulous development process over rushing into production, aiming to finalize the script over the summer before selecting a director.

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