Marvel Studios has an ambitious slate of films lined up over the new few years, though the company’s plans were recently shifted due to the coronavirus. Despite this, it would appear the superhero powerhouse is continuing to plug in dates for future releases in the midst of these circumstances. Blade is one of the few Marvel projects that wasn’t dated upon its announcement but if a new rumor is to be believed, that may no longer be the case.
According to a recent post from Charles Murphy of the Murphy’s Law Podcast, Marvel Studios is planning to release Blade on October 7, 2022. Murphy followed up that date with several 2023 release dates that don’t appear to have films attached to them as of yet.
It’s important to mention that this news should be taken solely as a rumor for now, as no Marvel films have been officially matched to release dates beyond Captain Marvel 2’s July 2022 date. However, Marvel head Kevin Feige has confirmed that Blade will not be a part of Marvel's Phase 4, which would make 2022 a prime Phase 5 slot. Also, releasing a horror-adjacent film like Blade in October would make a lot of sense.
If Blade were to hit theaters in 2022, that would mean pre-production has already begun or will begin sometime this year, and principal photography would follow in 2021. Though because our current situation, development may have been stalled as has been the case with fellow Marvel projects.
Blade poses a number of questions, as many are still wondering how the Marvel Cinematic Universe intends to utilize the Daywalker. The MCU’s more family-friendly tone has some worried that we’ll get a somewhat sanitized take on the character. This would be in stark contrast to the original trilogy of films that starred Wesley Snipes in the lead role.
This still hasn’t stopped fans and celebrities from getting excited about seeing Mahershala Ali’s take on the character. Blade alum Stephen Dorff is looking forward to seeing his True Detective co-star don the fangs and battle vampires on the big screen.
The same can be said for Wesley Snipes, who was relatively chill about Mahershala Ali landing the role. This is a particularly major endorsement given that Snipes defined the character for a generation and had been campaigning for years to reprise the role in the MCU.
In typical Marvel fashion, no plot details have been disclosed about the film and, as far as we know, a director has yet to be hired. Jordan Peele was one of the first filmmakers that came mind for most, but he doesn’t appear to have much interest in handling Blade’s MCU debut.
On a brighter note, moviegoers will have plenty of other Marvel offerings to look forward to in the more immediate future, starting with Black Widow which is now set to hit theaters on November 6, 2020.
