Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has addressed concerns regarding the future of the Blade film starring Mahershala Ali, which was recently removed from the studio's release schedule. Despite the changes, Feige reassured fans that the film will indeed make its way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Speaking with Omelete through IGN, Feige stated, “We are committed to Blade. We love the character. We love Mahershala’s take on him. And 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. You’re all up to date on what’s happening. But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU.”
Since the announcement of the Blade project in 2019, the film has faced a series of delays and changes in filmmakers and screenwriters. Bassam Tariq, the initial director, exited the project shortly before production was due to begin, and Yann Demange also recently dropped out. Several screenwriters, including Stacy Osei-Kuffour and Michael Starrbury, have also exited the project. Feige previously mentioned that the studio's priority was not to rush the film, saying during his press tour for Deadpool and Wolverine that the most important thing was to ensure the movie was done right.
As a result of these delays, Marvel Studios has now scheduled Predator: Badlands for release on November 7, 2025, in place of Blade. The Blade franchise originally launched in 1998 with Wesley Snipes playing the iconic role, followed by two sequels, Blade II and Blade: Trinity. Snipes also reprised the role in Deadpool 2. Feige's comments suggest that while there have been setbacks, Blade will eventually join the MCU, and the studio is focused on delivering the right version of the character.
