It was almost exactly five years ago at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 that Marvel announced they were inviting Blade into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a brand new reboot movie, with Mahershala Ali attached to star as the title character. Five years later, well, Marvel’s planned Blade movie has still never even found its way in front of the cameras.
It’s no secret that the brand new Blade movie has been bumped all over the release calendar the last couple years, currently set for theatrical release on November 7, 2025. But the movie is without a director at the moment, with Yann Demange (“Lovecraft Country”) departing the project in the wake of Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli) exiting the film back in 2022.
In a new chat with BlackTree TV this week, fittingly ahead of San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige gives us a minor update on the Blade project.
The good news? Much like Deadpool & Wolverine, which brings a new level of violence to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it sounds like Blade will DEFINITELY be rated “R.”
“For the last few years, as we’ve been trying to crack that movie, the most important thing for us is not rushing it. And making sure we are making the right Blade movie,” Feige explains.
He continues, “There were some great Blade movies years ago… they were all rated R. So I think that’s inherent – like Deadpool – inherent with the character of Blade.”
At this time, Mia Goth (X, Pearl, MaXXXine) is also on board to star in the film.
The vampire-slaying character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan, introduced in July 1973’s The Tomb of Dracula #10. Wesley Snipes played Blade across three films from 1998 through 2004, and he was played by Sticky Fingaz in a short-lived TV series.