The highly anticipated “Blade” reboot, starring Mahershala Ali, has been removed from the Marvel 2025 release schedule, disappointing many fans. Originally slated for a November 7, 2025, release, the film’s spot will now be taken by Predator: Badlands. This marks another delay for a project that has faced numerous setbacks since its announcement.
Production Struggles and Director Departures
The reboot has been fraught with challenges, starting with the COVID pandemic, and later, the departure of its first director, Bassam Tariq, in 2022. After Tariq’s exit, Yann Demange took over, but he too left the project in June 2023, further delaying production. “For the last few years, as we’ve been trying to crack that movie, the most important thing for us is not rushing it,” said Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. “We want to make sure we are making the right ‘Blade’ movie.”
Delays continued as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike in 2023 paused pre-production, pushing the release date back to November 2025. Now, with the latest changes in Disney’s plans, the film is off the calendar entirely, leaving its future uncertain.
Limited Releases and Marvel Strategic Shift
Marvel’s decision to limit its film releases to a maximum of three per year played a significant role in the reboot’s removal from the 2025 slate. Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed this during a recent earnings call. “We’re scaling back to focus on quality over quantity,” Iger said, highlighting the company’s cautious approach. Other Marvel films still scheduled for 2025 include Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Fans have been eagerly awaiting Ali’s portrayal of Blade since it was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. While the ongoing delays are frustrating for many, hope remains that the reboot will eventually see the light of day. Marvel has yet to announce a new release date for the film, though the addition of untitled projects in 2028 offers some promise for the future.