Washington, DC [US], July 7: The prolonged delays plaguing Marvel’s highly anticipated Blade reboot have tested the patience of fans — and even the film’s own star, Mahershala Ali, who recently expressed his frustration.
Appearing on Vogue’s Off the Cuff alongside Jurassic World Rebirth co-stars Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey, Ali deflected a playful question about Marvel roles from Bailey, joking, “Leave me out of it. That’s a Scarlett question,” Variety reported.
Bailey quipped back, “Well, there’s one that we’re very excited about,” referring to Ali’s long-stalled Blade reboot. Ali responded candidly when asked by Variety at the New York premiere of Jurassic World Rebirth, saying, “Call Marvel. I’m ready. Let them know I’m ready.”
First announced in 2019 with Ali cast as the titular daywalking vampire hunter, Blade has faced years of development turmoil, with multiple changes to its creative team and scheduling setbacks leaving the project in limbo.
Despite the chaos, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reassured fans during D23 Brazil 2024, saying, “We love the character. We love Mahershala’s take on him… rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know… the character will indeed make it to the MCU.”
Adding to the intrigue, Variety recently reported that costumes originally designed for Blade ended up unused and repurposed for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, further highlighting the reboot’s troubled journey.
Marvel originally announced the Blade reboot starring Ali at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, fueling huge fan excitement for the vampire hunter’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — excitement that has turned into impatience as the wait stretches into its sixth year.