One of the reasons for the pre-production delay of Marvel Studios' Blade reboot is reportedly due to lead star Mahershala Ali’s heavy involvement with the script.

Ahead of its impending production start this coming spring, rumors about Blade's pre-production setbacks continue to circulate online, including the Oscar-winning actor's frustrations with the script. During The Hot Mic podcast, industry insider Jeff Sneider revealed that Ali had requested "script changes all the time" for a number of months, due to the acclaimed actor's dedication to realizing his vision for the fan-favorite character. This isn't the first time that the project had suffered setbacks during its pre-production stage. Another reason for Blade’s delay is the surprise departure of its original director Bassam Tariq, who left the Marvel movie "due to continued shifts" in its production schedule.

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Ali, who has been attached to the film since 2019, will be portraying the eponymous iconic vampire hunter. The character already made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in 2021 through a brief voice cameo during the post-credits scene of Eternals. It has also been confirmed that Blade will now be directed by Lovecraft Country's Yann Demange from a screenplay written by Michael Starrbury, based on the first draft by Stacy Osei-Kuffour. Following the announcement of Demange's involvement, Tariq immediately voiced his support through social media, as he described the French filmmaker as a "cherished friend and brother."

What to Expect in the Blade Reboot

According to the synopsis, the Blade reboot will center around the half-immortal hero's quest to "rid the world of vampires as a way of avenging his mother, who was killed by a vampire as she gave birth to him." Joining Ali are Da 5 Bloods actor Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre, who previously starred in the DC prequel series Krypton. Given the titular anti-hero's interaction with Kit Harington's Dane Whitman/Black Knight in Eternals, it is speculated that the Game of Thrones vet might also be joining the upcoming Blade movie.

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The lead hero is based on the Marvel Comics character created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. He is a vampire-human hybrid, who possesses superhuman strength, stamina, and accelerated healing factor. However, unlike other vampires, the sunlight doesn’t harm him which led him to gain the nickname of "Daywalker." Before Ali, the character was famously portrayed by Wesley Snipes in three live-action movies including 1998's Blade, 2002's Blade II and 2004's Blade: Trinity.

Following Marvel Studios' official announcement of Blade, Snipes confirmed he has already given his blessing to Ali. "We spoke. [...] The issue of him being cast wasn't between us. That was business. I'm cool with it. I don't walk around as Blade, so I'm not attached to the character like that. I feel no emotional loss. Zero. I'm happy that he's been recast and more than likely will do a great job."

Blade is scheduled to arrive in theaters on Sept. 6, 2024, as part of the MCU's Phase Five.

Source: YouTube, via The Direct