A new report claims that the in-development Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Blade is frustrating star Mahershala Ali.

Per a Twitter post by Jeff Sneider, an entertainment industry journalist and reporter for The Ankler, Blade is suffering from production delays due to issues with the movie's script. "I’m told that the current BLADE script is roughly 90 pages and features exactly TWO (lackluster) action sequences, Mahershala said to be very frustrated with the process," Sneider wrote. "Feige said to be spread too thin. But hey, that’s just what sources are telling me. Don’t shoot the messenger." This comes amid the news that director Bassam Tariq has officially exited the project due to ongoing production shifts. At the time of writing, Marvel Studios and Ali have yet to comment on Sneider's statements.

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Sneider continued on to say that he's heard that Beau DeMayo, whose writing credits include Moon Knight, X-Men '97 and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is now working on Blade. It's currently unknown in what capacity DeMayo is serving but it's widely believed that he's contributing to the script.

Blade's in the Dark

It's unclear whether Blade's reported script woes contributed to Tariq's decision to leave the project. The filmmaker issued a brief statement, indicating that he harbors no ill will towards the studio. "It’s been an honor working with the wonderful folks at Marvel," Tariq said. "We were able to put together a killer cast and crew. Eager to see where the next director takes the film." A replacement director has yet to be hired.

Related: Acclaimed Black Panther Costume Designer Joins Marvel's Blade Reboot

Despite the buzz surrounding Blade, details on the movie remain scarce. Ali has already had a cameo in the MCU, featured as an off-screen voiceover during Eternals' post-credits scene, speaking to Dane Whitman aka The Black Knight. "It was scary," Ali said when asked about what it was like to play Blade for the first time. "Because, you know, you're talking before you're filming it. I'm pretty particular about my choices, like most actors, and so having to make some choices -- even with a line, vocally -- this early on, it brought up some very real anxieties."

Blade is slated to premiere in theaters on Nov. 23, 2023. It's unknown whether Tariq's exit will impact the release date.

Source: Twitter