I Keep Seeing Rumors About Chad Stahelski Directing Blade, But As A Huge Fan, I'm Not Sure That's A Good Thing

Chad Stahelski has been one of my favorite directors for the past decade now, as he’s a filmmaker with a lot to bring the to table. Responsible for the John Wick franchise, which comprises some of the best action movies of all time, the stuntman-turned-filmmaker has a great eye for action, an attention to detail that is pretty much unmatched, and a knack for storytelling. So when I started hearing rumors that he’s being eyed to direct the long-in-the-works Blade reboot, you think I’d be excited and turn into the “shut up and take my money” gif. Right? Well, not so much…

As a huge fan of both Stahelski and the Blade movies (is their ay better opening scene than the blood-soaked club sequence?), I don’t know if this is the best idea for either side. Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to see the upcoming Marvel movie the night it drops, I just don’t know if this is the best route.

Don't Get Me Wrong, I Think Chad Stahelski Would Be Perfect For Blade

When I first read rumors about Chad Stahelski possibly directing Blade on sites like World of Reel and ScreenRant a few weeks ago, my immediate reaction was, "Yes, Kevin Feige, make this happen and let it happen soon!" I mean, the thought of the man who crafted all those absurdly violent and intense John Wick fight scenes making a movie about Marvel Comics’ premier Daywalker, this time played by Mahershala Ali, seems like a match made in action movie heaven. It’d be like George A. Romero making a Resident Evil movie.

Over the years, Stahelski has proven time and time again that not only can he direct impressive action sequences or shootouts like nobody’s business, but he can also build worlds with deep lore and all kinds of intertwined stories set in the same universe. With the MCU getting larger every single day (we are building to the Russos’ Avengers: Doomsday after all), this is something that could work really well if the rumors end up being true and the movie actually gets off the ground.

But that brings me to my first major sticking point…

It's Just That The MCU Project's Development Has Had One Obstacle After Another

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Blade was first announced back in 2019, and since then, it’s been a “start and stop” affair that has seen all kinds of obstacles, delays, and other problems along the way. The highly-anticipated comic book adaptation was supposed to be coming out near the end of the 2025 movie schedule with a November 5th debut, but Marvel brass later decided to take it off the calendar entirely with no new date announced. Numerous other Marvel projects have been announced and released during that same nearly-six-year stretch, but we still have nothing concrete in terms of story for Blade.

The only real updates we have received over the years are those about the movie being in development hell or details about plans that were long ago scrapped. Kevin Feige will come around every few months to update on why Blade’s taking so long or address rumors, but nothing ever seems to come from it. I don’t want to give up on this entirely like it’s the ill-fated El Muerto starring Bad Bunny, but I honestly don’t have high hopes at this moment.

And It Seems Like The Can Would Have To Be Kicked Even Further Down The Road With All The John Wick 5 Talk

Another reason I’m on the fence about Chad Stahelski directing the Blade movie is the fact that he’s going to be helming the recently announced John Wick: Chapter 5, which will also see the return of Keanu Reeves’ titular hitman. With the franchise alive and well – the highly anticipated Ballerina hits theaters this summer and more projects are on the way – I can’t imagine Stahelski wanting to turn his attention away from a property that is clearly near and dear to his heart. With Blade having no release date, and opening spots on the MCU calendar getting further and further out, this could be another “kick the can” situation on our hands.

I still don’t know much about the fifth John Wick movie or how it will handle the return of its main character after he presumably died after the onslaught of bullets, knives and other weapons in John Wick: Chapter 4, but I’m sure the franchise’s major players are working on all that right now. That means that Stahelski will most likely be spending a considerable amount of time in the coming months and years finding a story worth telling.

Stahelski Is Also Working On Highlander And Ghost Of Tsushima, And I'm Worried About His Bandwidth

If you’ve followed Chad Stahelski for the past couple of years, you know that he has seriously become one of the busiest people in show business. I have, and now I’m starting to get kind of worried about his bandwidth. Since 2023, he’s been attached to direct a few different projects and produce even more, which is absolutely wild. While there are a lot of projects in the works from the John Wick director, there are two that I’m most excited to see: his Ghost of Tsushima live-action adaptation and his remake of Highlander starring Henry Cavill.

Stahelski has been working on Highlander for a few years now, and it remains to be seen how much him jumping in to help Ballerina’s reshoots impacted the fantasy remake, but hopefully this is something that happens. This also applies to Ghost of Tsushima, a big-screen take on the popular PlayStation game of the same name. He revealed a ton of details about the upcoming video game adaptation when I spoke with him back in late 2023, but I haven’t heard anything since.

Hopefully my concerns end up being meaningless and Chad Stahelski not only makes Blade, but also gives us one of the best Marvel movies of all time. If anyone can do it, I think he can.