It seems the highly anticipated Blade movie has finally run out of steam. The Marvel Cinematic Universe project, which promised to bring Mahershala Ali as the iconic Daywalker, has faced numerous obstacles and now appears to be permanently stalled. This development is a significant disappointment, particularly for fans eagerly awaiting Ali's portrayal of the vampire hunter.

Rapper and artist Flying Lotus recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to discuss his involvement in the project, revealing that Blade is no longer moving forward. "I guess we are so far from it even being a possibility now but. Yeah I was signed on to write music for the new BLADE movie before it fell thru," he shared. The DJ, who also directed the new sci-fi horror film ASH on Shudder, expressed his doubts about the project's revival but noted it would have been an exciting opportunity.

Just a day before Flying Lotus' tweet, acclaimed costume designer Ruth E. Carter confirmed on The John Campea Show that she was set to work on Blade before its collapse. She also revealed that the film was to be set in the 1920s, a setting that promised unique and visually striking costume and production designs.

Adding to the series of unfortunate updates, actor Delroy Lindo, who was attached to star alongside Ali, recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the project's derailment. "When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," he said. "And in the various conversations I had with producers, the writer, the director at the time, it was all leading into being very inclusive. It was really exciting conceptually, but it was also exciting in terms of the character that was going to form. And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails."

Blade was initially announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with plans for a November release. However, the film has seen multiple directors come and go, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, without any lasting progress.

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View 18 ImagesDespite these setbacks, it's been only six months since Blade was officially removed from Marvel's release schedule in October 2024. While no new release date has been announced, MCU boss Kevin Feige remains optimistic about the film's future. In an interview with Omelete in November 2024, he 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."