What Happened to Marvel’s ‘Blade’ Reboot?

The much-discussed Marvel Studios teaser release, which dropped yesterday, was a lot to digest. Audiences were treated to glimpses of Eternals, Black Widow, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, alongside a slate of forthcoming releases going all the way into 2023 (which included new instalments of Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, and Black Panther, among others).

What was missing amongst all the excitement, though, was any mention of the Blade reboot.

The remake was announced in pre-pandemic 2019, when it was confirmed at San Diego Comic Con that Mahershala Ali would be taking the title role (originally played by Wesley Snipes). And in February of this year, further details of the creative team were confirmed.

So should fans be concerned that wasn’t it teased – or even acknowledged – in this week’s announcements?

As of yet, there’s still reason to believe that the film will be made. Screenrant notes that the project was discussed briefly at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, when Marvel Studios’ president Kevin Feige confirmed that it was “moving ahead.” It’s possible, though, that it might be further down the production pipeline than first thought, given that it doesn’t yet have a confirmed director.

It’s also possible, too, that other projects have edged it further down the priority list: since the death of Chadwick Boseman, many fans have been heatedly discussing a Black Panther sequel, which might feel more urgent for Marvel Studios.

Other outlets have also raised that Marvel’s releases tend to move around wildly – often being moved back and forward by months, or even years, at a time. And, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic likely made an impact on the availability and scheduling of the film’s cast and crew.

Hopefully the project will re-emerge soon – stay tuned to HYPEBEAST for updates as they come in.

In other Marvel news, WandaVision star Elizabeth Olsen has revealed her next project.