Draft:Blade (upcoming film)

From March to June 2021, Marvel Studios met with a shortlist of possible directors,<ref name="TariqJuly2021" /> focusing their search on Black filmmakers such as [[Steven Caple Jr.]], [[J. D. Dillard]], [[Regina King]], and [[Shaka King]].<ref name="July2022FilmingStart" /> [[Albert Hughes]] discussed directing the film with Marvel Studios but left after disagreeing with their approach.<ref name="HughesTalks" /> Several directors were chosen to give final presentations, and [[Bassam Tariq]] "won all parties over" with his vision for the film. Tariq was in final talks to direct the film by the end of July,<ref name="TariqJuly2021" /> and had been hired by the start of September.<ref name="TariqSep2021" /><ref name="PhaseFiveDirectorsConfirm" /> Tariq said the film would not be "boxed in" by adapting comic book elements since the character has an evolving [[Canon (fiction)|canon]].<ref name="TariqSep2021" /> Ali made an uncredited voice [[cameo appearance|cameo]] as Blade in the [[post-credits scene]] of the Phase Four film ''[[Eternals (film)|Eternals]]'', which was released in November 2021. In the scene, he contacts [[Kit Harington]]'s [[Dane Whitman (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Dane Whitman]] about the [[Ebony Blade (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Ebony Blade]].<ref name="AliEternals" />

From March to June 2021, Marvel Studios met with a shortlist of possible directors,<ref name="TariqJuly2021" /> focusing their search on Black filmmakers such as [[Steven Caple Jr.]], [[J. D. Dillard]], [[Regina King]], and [[Shaka King]].<ref name="July2022FilmingStart" /> [[Albert Hughes]] discussed directing the film with Marvel Studios but left after disagreeing with their approach.<ref name="HughesTalks" /> Several directors were chosen to give final presentations, and [[Bassam Tariq]] "won all parties over" with his vision for the film. Tariq was in final talks to direct the film by the end of July,<ref name="TariqJuly2021" /> and had been hired by the start of September.<ref name="TariqSep2021" /><ref name="PhaseFiveDirectorsConfirm" /> Tariq said the film would not be "boxed in" by adapting comic book elements since the character has an evolving [[Canon (fiction)|canon]].<ref name="TariqSep2021" /> Ali made an uncredited voice [[cameo appearance|cameo]] as Blade in the [[post-credits scene]] of the Phase Four film ''[[Eternals (film)|Eternals]]'', which was released in November 2021. In the scene, he contacts [[Kit Harington]]'s [[Dane Whitman (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Dane Whitman]] about the [[Ebony Blade (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Ebony Blade]].<ref name="AliEternals" />

[[Delroy Lindo]] was cast in late November 2021,<ref name="Lindo" /> as the head of a Black community whose philosophy and [[ethos]] were similar to those of political activist [[Marcus Garvey]]. Lindo was excited about the inclusivity of the project from early conversations with the creatives and was congratulated on his casting by [[Jeffrey Bell]] and [[Paul Zbyszewski]], who previously worked with Lindo on the unaired Marvel Television pilot ''[[Marvel's Most Wanted]]'', for which Lindo was cast to portray the character [[Dominic Fortune]].<ref name="LindoEWApr2025" /> The producers wanted to cast Lindo in the role from the start of the casting process, but they took their time casting a different major role in the film. The latter became "one of the more highly coveted parts in Hollywood". Feige, Tariq, and other executives met with "dozens of up-and-coming actors" for the role, and [[Aaron Pierre (actor)|Aaron Pierre]] became the frontrunner in February 2022 after impressing the creatives. Pierre joined the cast by the end of the month.<ref name="Pierre" /><ref name="PierreLimbo" /> [[Pre-production]] work was starting in Atlanta between mid-June and mid-July using the [[working title]] ''Perfect Imprints'',<ref name="AJCWorkingTitle" /> with [[principal photography]] slated to last from October 2022 until January 2023.<ref name="FilmingTime" /><ref name="SDCC2022" /><ref name="Oct2022FilmingStart" /> Production was set to be based at Trilith and [[Tyler Perry Studios]],<ref name="Oct2022FilmingStart" /><ref name="FilmingTime" /><ref name="TrilithStudios" /><ref name="DeMayoXMen97VideoResponse" /> with location shooting in Cleveland during November 2022.<ref name="ClevelandFilmingNov2022" /><ref name="ClevelandFilmingDelay" /> A major train set was built for the production, but ultimately went unused.<ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /> Several crew members who had worked on previous MCU projects were attached to the film around this time, including Mårten Larsson as visual effects supervisor,<ref name="LarssonCerettiEbonyBlade" /> Stefania Cella as production designer,<ref name="Cella" /> and [[Ruth E. Carter]] as costume designer,<ref name="Carter" /><ref name="CarterApr2025" /> while Damián García was hired to be the cinematographer.<ref name="García" /> Larsson was provided the design for the Ebony Blade by ''Eternals'' visual effects supervisor [[Stephane Ceretti]] to use in ''Blade''.<ref name="LarssonCerettiEbonyBlade" /> By the end of June, Milan Ray was reportedly cast as Blade's daughter.<ref name="Ray" /> At San Diego Comic-Con the next month, the film was given a release date of November 3, 2023, making it part of [[Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Five|Phase Five]] of the MCU.<ref name="SDCC2022" />

[[Delroy Lindo]] was cast in late November 2021,<ref name="Lindo" /> as the head of a Black community whose philosophy and [[ethos]] were similar to those of political activist [[Marcus Garvey]]. Lindo was excited about the inclusivity of the project from early conversations with the creatives and was congratulated on his casting by [[Jeffrey Bell]] and [[Paul Zbyszewski]], who previously worked with Lindo on the unaired Marvel Television [[Television pilot|pilot]] ''[[Marvel's Most Wanted]]'', for which Lindo was cast to portray the character [[Dominic Fortune]].<ref name="LindoEWApr2025" /> The producers wanted to cast Lindo in the role from the start of the casting process, but they took their time casting a different major role in the film. The latter became "one of the more highly coveted parts in Hollywood". Feige, Tariq, and other executives met with "dozens of up-and-coming actors" for the role, and [[Aaron Pierre (actor)|Aaron Pierre]] became the frontrunner in February 2022 after impressing the creatives. Pierre joined the cast by the end of the month.<ref name="Pierre" /><ref name="PierreLimbo" /> [[Pre-production]] work was starting in Atlanta between mid-June and mid-July using the [[working title]] ''Perfect Imprints'',<ref name="AJCWorkingTitle" /> with [[principal photography]] slated to last from October 2022 until January 2023.<ref name="FilmingTime" /><ref name="SDCC2022" /><ref name="Oct2022FilmingStart" /> Production was set to be based at Trilith and [[Tyler Perry Studios]],<ref name="Oct2022FilmingStart" /><ref name="FilmingTime" /><ref name="TrilithStudios" /><ref name="DeMayoXMen97VideoResponse" /> with location shooting in Cleveland during November 2022.<ref name="ClevelandFilmingNov2022" /><ref name="ClevelandFilmingDelay" /> A major train set was built for the production, but ultimately went unused.<ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /> Several crew members who had worked on previous MCU projects were attached to the film around this time, including Mårten Larsson as visual effects supervisor,<ref name="LarssonCerettiEbonyBlade" /> Stefania Cella as production designer,<ref name="Cella" /> and [[Ruth E. Carter]] as costume designer,<ref name="Carter" /><ref name="CarterApr2025" /> while Damián García was hired to be the cinematographer.<ref name="García" /> Larsson was provided the design for the Ebony Blade by ''Eternals'' visual effects supervisor [[Stephane Ceretti]] to use in ''Blade''.<ref name="LarssonCerettiEbonyBlade" /> By the end of June, Milan Ray was reportedly cast as Blade's daughter.<ref name="Ray" /> At San Diego Comic-Con the next month, the film was given a release date of November 3, 2023, making it part of [[Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Five|Phase Five]] of the MCU.<ref name="SDCC2022" />

[[Beau DeMayo]], a writer for the MCU miniseries ''[[Moon Knight (miniseries)|Moon Knight]]'' (2022) and the [[head writer]] for the first season of the [[Marvel Studios Animation]] series ''[[X-Men '97]]'' (2024), was rewriting the film's script by early September 2022. The version he was working on was said to be a [[period piece]].<ref name="TariqExit" /><ref name="DeMayoXMen97VideoResponse" /><ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /> DeMayo alleged that he was soon removed from the film after raising concerns that he had about the production's workplace culture, such as some Marvel executives comparing his appearance to Snipes's and other racially motivated comments.<ref name="DeMayoXMen97VideoResponse" /> At the end of the month, Tariq stepped down as director due to further production delays,<ref name="TariqExit" /> and creative differences with Marvel Studios;<ref name="DemangeStarrburyTHR" /> the studio reportedly no longer believed Tariq to be the best fit for the film.<ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /> In separate statements, Marvel Studios and Tariq said they both appreciated their work together on the film and added that Tariq would remain an executive producer. The studio was searching for a new director and filming was set to begin in November.<ref name="TariqExit" /> Journalist [[Jeff Sneider]] reported that Ali was frustrated with the film's development, including the state of the script and the fact that Feige was said to be "spread too thin" with his commitments to the wider MCU.<ref name="SneiderScriptSep2022" /> In October, Marvel Studios temporarily suspended production work that was happening in Atlanta while they continued to search for a new director. Production was expected to resume in early 2023.<ref name="Oct2022ProductionHalt" /> This resulted in the film's release date being delayed to September 6, 2024,<ref name="Sep2024Release" /> making it the last film in Phase Five at that point.<ref name="VarietyScriptApr2023" />

[[Beau DeMayo]], a writer for the MCU miniseries ''[[Moon Knight (miniseries)|Moon Knight]]'' (2022) and the [[head writer]] for the first season of the [[Marvel Studios Animation]] series ''[[X-Men '97]]'' (2024), was rewriting the film's script by early September 2022. The version he was working on was said to be a [[period piece]].<ref name="TariqExit" /><ref name="DeMayoXMen97VideoResponse" /><ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /> DeMayo alleged that he was soon removed from the film after raising concerns that he had about the production's workplace culture, such as some Marvel executives comparing his appearance to Snipes's and other racially motivated comments.<ref name="DeMayoXMen97VideoResponse" /> At the end of the month, Tariq stepped down as director due to further production delays,<ref name="TariqExit" /> and creative differences with Marvel Studios;<ref name="DemangeStarrburyTHR" /> the studio reportedly no longer believed Tariq to be the best fit for the film.<ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /> In separate statements, Marvel Studios and Tariq said they both appreciated their work together on the film and added that Tariq would remain an executive producer. The studio was searching for a new director and filming was set to begin in November.<ref name="TariqExit" /> Journalist [[Jeff Sneider]] reported that Ali was frustrated with the film's development, including the state of the script and the fact that Feige was said to be "spread too thin" with his commitments to the wider MCU.<ref name="SneiderScriptSep2022" /> In October, Marvel Studios temporarily suspended production work that was happening in Atlanta while they continued to search for a new director. Production was expected to resume in early 2023.<ref name="Oct2022ProductionHalt" /> This resulted in the film's release date being delayed to September 6, 2024,<ref name="Sep2024Release" /> making it the last film in Phase Five at that point.<ref name="VarietyScriptApr2023" />

Shortly after Demange's exit as director was publicly revealed in June 2024, the film was considered unlikely to begin production in time to meet the November 2025 release date.<ref name="DemangeExitVariety" /> A release delay had been expected as early as February 2024, when commentators felt Marvel Studios would not release four films in 2025 as scheduled. This speculation came amidst [[Disney]]'s larger plans to scale back content,<ref name="SneiderReleaseDoubt" /><ref name="THRReleaseUnlikely" /> and was furthered by Disney CEO [[Bob Iger]] not mentioning the film during an earnings call where he discussed Marvel's other 2025 releases.<ref name="THRReleaseUnlikely" /> In May, Iger said Disney would only release two, or at most three, Marvel films a year moving forward.<ref name="IgerContentOutputMay2024" /> Marvel Studios was reported to no longer be feeling pressure to get the film released following these efforts to reduce content output, and the studio was prioritizing getting the film right. It was felt that the project had not received enough attention previously due to Disney's mandate for Marvel Studios to overdevelop its production slate.<ref name="DemangeExitWrap" /><ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /> [[Eric Pearson]] was rewriting the script by mid-June. A frequent writer for Marvel Studios, Pearson was internally seen as a "closer" who could "bring scripts over the finish line". He was expected to work on the script through the following months before it was shown to potential directors.<ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /><ref name="VarietyJun2024" /><ref name="DemangeExitVariety" /> The film was being refocused to be set in the present day.<ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /> At that point, [[David S. Goyer]] had contacted Marvel about writing the script, after previously working on the New Line trilogy, but the studio turned down his offer.<ref name="NoGoyer" />

Shortly after Demange's exit as director was publicly revealed in June 2024, the film was considered unlikely to begin production in time to meet the November 2025 release date.<ref name="DemangeExitVariety" /> A release delay had been expected as early as February 2024, when commentators felt Marvel Studios would not release four films in 2025 as scheduled. This speculation came amidst [[Disney]]'s larger plans to scale back content,<ref name="SneiderReleaseDoubt" /><ref name="THRReleaseUnlikely" /> and was furthered by Disney CEO [[Bob Iger]] not mentioning the film during an earnings call where he discussed Marvel's other 2025 releases.<ref name="THRReleaseUnlikely" /> In May, Iger said Disney would only release two, or at most three, Marvel films a year moving forward.<ref name="IgerContentOutputMay2024" /> Marvel Studios was reported to no longer be feeling pressure to get the film released following these efforts to reduce content output, and the studio was prioritizing getting the film right. It was felt that the project had not received enough attention previously due to Disney's mandate for Marvel Studios to overdevelop its production slate.<ref name="DemangeExitWrap" /><ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /> [[Eric Pearson]] was rewriting the script by mid-June. A frequent writer for Marvel Studios, Pearson was internally seen as a "closer" who could "bring scripts over the finish line". He was expected to work on the script through the following months before it was shown to potential directors.<ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /><ref name="VarietyJun2024" /><ref name="DemangeExitVariety" /> The film was being refocused to be set in the present day.<ref name="THRDelaysJun2024" /> At that point, [[David S. Goyer]] had contacted Marvel about writing the script, after previously working on the New Line trilogy, but the studio turned down his offer.<ref name="NoGoyer" />

In July 2024, Feige confirmed that Marvel was developing the film with the intention of it receiving an R-rating, noting that the previous ''Blade'' films received that rating just as ''Deadpool & Wolverine'' was made to receive an R-rating based on the [[Deadpool (film series)|previous ''Deadpool'' films]].<ref name="FeigeRatingJul2024" /> Feige said the studio was committed to making the film right and admitted their frustrations with the development process. He had read half of Pearson's new draft by then and felt positive about it.<ref name="FeigeDraftJul2024" /> Also that month, Snipes was revealed to have reprised his role as Blade in the [[Multiverse (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|multiverse]]-based ''Deadpool & Wolverine''. He did not think a return to the role would have been possible because Marvel Studios was moving ahead with Ali in the role for this film.<ref name="SnipesD&W" /> ''Deadpool & Wolverine'' includes a [[Meta (prefix)|meta]] joke, delivered by Snipes, that states "There's only been one Blade! Only ever gonna be one Blade." Following the film's release, Snipes jokingly acknowledged fans who called for Ali's ''Blade'' to be canceled and for Snipes's version to be officially integrated with the MCU.<ref name="SnipesD&WLine" /> The following month, Disney updated its release calendar and reaffirmed ''Blade''{{'s}} release date of November 7, 2025. Multiple commentators were surprised it was not removed from that date given the continuing creative changes, but anticipated it would eventually be.<ref name="Nov2025DateRefBundle" /> Disney removed ''Blade'' from its release calendar in October 2024.<ref name="NoReleaseDate" /> Feige reaffirmed the following month that the film was still in development.<ref name="FeigeNov2024" /> In March 2025, Sneider reported that [[Cary Joji Fukunaga]] had been poised to direct ''Blade'' by late 2024, but negotiations fell through because Marvel wanted a "studio-friendly" director. He said Marvel was considering Stahelski to direct the film,<ref name="StahelskiSneider" /> but Rodrigo Perez of ''The Playlist'' reported that this was incorrect and development on the film had been paused, saying it was "essentially nixed". He added that Marvel was instead looking to feature Ali's Blade as a supporting character in another MCU property, such as the [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] film ''[[Avengers: Secret Wars]]'' (2027) or a rumored [[Midnight Sons]] film, which Perez compared to the character [[Namor (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Namor]] being introduced in ''Wakanda Forever''. There was potential for work on ''Blade'' to restart in the future.<ref name="DevelopmentPause" /><ref name="DevelopmentPause2" /> [[Flying Lotus]] said in April 2025 that he had signed on to write music for ''Blade'' prior to the production delays.<ref name="FlyingLotus" /> That June, Adam B. Vary at ''Variety'' reported that the film was still in development,<ref name="Jun2025StillDevelopment" /> but Ali said he was unsure "where Marvel is at" with the project.<ref name="AliJun2025" />

In July 2024, Feige confirmed that Marvel was developing the film with the intention of it receiving an R-rating, noting that the previous ''Blade'' films received that rating just as ''Deadpool & Wolverine'' was made to receive an R-rating based on the [[Deadpool (film series)|previous ''Deadpool'' films]].<ref name="FeigeRatingJul2024" /> Feige said the studio was committed to making the film right and admitted their frustrations with the development process. He had read half of Pearson's new draft by then and felt positive about it.<ref name="FeigeDraftJul2024" /> Also that month, Snipes was revealed to have reprised his role as Blade in the [[Multiverse (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|multiverse]]-based ''Deadpool & Wolverine''. He did not think a return to the role would have been possible because Marvel Studios was moving ahead with Ali in the role for this film.<ref name="SnipesD&W" /> ''Deadpool & Wolverine'' includes a [[Meta (prefix)|meta]] joke, delivered by Snipes, that states "There's only been one Blade! Only ever gonna be one Blade." Following the film's release, Snipes jokingly acknowledged fans who called for Ali's ''Blade'' to be canceled and for Snipes's version to be officially integrated with the MCU.<ref name="SnipesD&WLine" /> The following month, Disney updated its release calendar and reaffirmed ''Blade''{{'s}} release date of November 7, 2025. Multiple commentators were surprised it was not removed from that date given the continuing creative changes, but anticipated it would eventually be.<ref name="Nov2025DateRefBundle" /> Disney removed ''Blade'' from its release calendar in October 2024.<ref name="NoReleaseDate" /> Feige reaffirmed the following month that the film was still in development.<ref name="FeigeNov2024" />

In March 2025, Sneider reported that [[Cary Joji Fukunaga]] had been poised to direct ''Blade'' by late 2024, but negotiations fell through because Marvel wanted a "studio-friendly" director. He said Marvel was considering Stahelski to direct the film,<ref name="StahelskiSneider" /> but Rodrigo Perez of ''The Playlist'' reported that this was incorrect and development on the film had been paused, saying it was "essentially nixed". He added that Marvel was instead looking to feature Ali's Blade as a supporting character in another MCU property, such as the [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] film ''[[Avengers: Secret Wars]]'' (2027) or a rumored [[Midnight Sons]] film, which Perez compared to the character [[Namor (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Namor]] being introduced in ''Wakanda Forever''. There was potential for work on ''Blade'' to restart in the future.<ref name="DevelopmentPause" /><ref name="DevelopmentPause2" /> [[Flying Lotus]] said in April 2025 that he had signed on to write music for ''Blade'' prior to the production delays.<ref name="FlyingLotus" /> That June, Adam B. Vary at ''Variety'' reported that the film was still in development,<ref name="Jun2025StillDevelopment" /> but Ali said he was unsure "where Marvel is at" with the project.<ref name="AliJun2025" />

== Release ==

== Release ==