Everything we know about the MCU Blade movie

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get some bite as it prepares to reboot Blade. For a while now, fans have waited to see the Marvel Studios version of their favourite day walking half-man, half-vampire, all leather-clad badass back on screens and it’s coming.

Marvel boss Kevin Feige has promised a full throttle Blade movie — but it’s having some trouble emerging from the shadows and onto our screens. Here’s everything we know about the return of the day walker.

When will Blade be released?

Blade is without a release date following a string of production setbacks, including the COVID pandemic and the Hollywood strikes of 2023. It was originally due to be released in November 2023 as the final film of Phase 5 in the Multiverse saga. It was later delayed to November 2025, then removed from Marvel’s 2025 release calendar.

Originally, the movie was set to be helmed by Mogul Mowgli director Bassam Tariq, before he dropped out and was released by Dead Set and Top Boy filmmaker Yann Demange. However, in June 2024, Demange was reported to have left the project, leaving Blade director-less.

Read more: Every upcoming MCU movie

Despite this, Feige remains confident in the project. Speaking in November 2024, the MCU mastermind said that its delays were all necessary to create a good finished film.

“We love the character, we love Mahershala’s version of him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still trying to figure out how it fits into our schedule, we let the public know. You’re up to date on what’s going on. But I can tell you that the character will be coming to the MCU,” he said.

In a separate interview with BlackTree, he said: “I mean, for the last two years we’ve been trying to crack that movie,” Feige told BlackTree TV. “The most important thing for us is not rushing it and making sure we are making the right Blade movie.”

He also confirmed that when the film finally reaches audiences it’ll be a bloody, R-rated adventure similar to the Blade movies that came before it. “There were some great Blade movies years ago — they were all rated-R. So I think that’s, like Deadpool, inherent with the character of Blade,” added the Marvel boss.

Speaking in December 2023, Ali said: “We’re working on it. That’s the best I could tell you. I’m really encouraged with the direction of the project. We’ll be back at it relatively soon.

“I’m sincerely encouraged in terms of where things are at and who’s on board and who’s leading the way as far as the writing of the script and the directing and all that. So that’s the extent of what I can tell you.”

Meanwhile, co-star Mia Goth told Deadline: “[Marvel] really care, they do. They want to make a great movie. That’s the sense that I get from them and that feels good.”

Who is in the Blade cast?

At San Diego Comic Con in 2019, Mahershala Ali was announced to be taking over the iconic fangs from Wesley Snipes. Snipes played him in a trilogy of films starting in the 90s and ending with dud third instalment Blade Trinity, and reprised his role in a brief cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Ali has previous with the MCU having played Cottonmouth Stokes in the first season of Luke Cage, but many people have taken on multiple roles in the MCU. To cement his role he provided a brief voice cameo to the end of Eternals, signalling a more supernatural bent to the universe.

Talking about landing the role, Ali said that he specifically asked to be considered to play the day walker.

In 2020, he said he “kept hearing they were trying to find a way to remake” Blade. “Since they were having conversations about bringing it back into being, I just wanted to be considered for it because I had definitely a connection, at least in my mind, to Wesley Snipes going back to high school,” he said.

“People use to joke and say that we looked alike and all this stuff. I just brought it up as someone who really wanted to take on that [Blade] role and tackle that. He's a little bit darker than some of the other ones and so that element was attractive to me.”

So far very little of the cast has been announced. Alongside Ali, we know that Pearl star Mia Goth will play supervillian Lilith, while screen legend Delroy Lindo will appear in an as-yet-undisclosed role.

Old’s Aaron Pierre was also set to appear but exited the project in early 2024. “Early on, there were conversations. As the project evolved, I’m no longer part of that — attached,” he told Entertainment Weekly.

It’s also unclear if Kit Harington will appear in the film after the end-credits sting in Eternals teased Blade and Dane Whitman coming into contact over the mythical ebony blade.

As it stands, the film is currently undergoing re-writes from Eric Pearson, screenwriter of Marvel's new Fantastic Four film. Pearson is the latest in a long-line of writers who have worked on the project which includes Michael Starrbury, Nic Pizzolatto and Michael Green.

How much of the original script will make it into Pearson’s final version is unknown — much like everything else with this troubled production.

What is the plot of Blade?

Little is known about the plot of Blade as yet. Part of the reason for the change in director was issues with the script and a lack of action. But given that Blade has a long history of fighting the more occult figures in the MCU it’s possible that the plot could take threads from Moon Knight or Werewolf-by-Night and see what happens with those.

Previous Blade films has dealt with vampires trying to harvest Blade’s blood so they can walk in the day light, as well as him facing off against Dracula himself. Given the increasing presence of the supernatural it’s possible we could see Blade coming up against some truly scary foes.

Blade does not have a release date