Marvel’s upcoming ‘Blade’
Marvel’s much-anticipated reboot of the vampire superhero franchise, Blade, has hit another bump as Yann Demange, the film’s director, has departed the project, according to TheWrap, marking the second directorial exit following Bassam Tariq’s departure in 2022.
Sources close to the production revealed that Demange’s departure was amicable and occurred weeks ago, citing the extended development phase of the project as a contributing factor. The Blade script has seen several iterations, with Eric Pearson, known for his work on Marvel’s The Fantastic Four, being the latest addition to the team after multiple other writers took turns, including Michael Green, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Michael Starrbury, Beau DeMayo, and Nic Pizzolatto.
Despite Marvel’s official stance keeping the film on track for a November 7, 2025, release date, insiders suggest that meeting this deadline is increasingly doubtful given the current circumstances. The upcoming Marvel slate, including Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024 and Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and The Fantastic Four in 2025, is either completed, near completion, or well into production.
The initial announcement of a new Blade movie at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 generated substantial excitement, especially with Mahershala Ali set to lead the reboot. Ali, expressing optimism about the film’s creative direction in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, mentioned being encouraged by the team involved in the project.
