As fans eagerly await the release of Marvel’s highly anticipated reboot of Blade, the road to production has been far from smooth. Initially announced in 2019 with Mahershala Ali set to take on the iconic role of the vampire hunter, the film has been stuck in development hell as it has encountered numerous setbacks, from script rewrites to directorial changes. Despite these hurdles, excitement remains high for the film, and one of the film’s most intriguing cast additions, popular horror actress Mia Goth, has opened up about the production delays and her experience working with Marvel.
Speaking to Deadline at the world premiere of her upcoming A24 movie MaXXXine, Goth addressed the delays surrounding the Daywalker’s return to the big screen. She offered some much-needed insight for fans eagerly awaiting updates, explaining:
They really care. They do. They want to make a great movie, that's the sense that I get from them, and that feels good.
The Infinity Pool veteran's comments come at a crucial time, as fans have grown anxious about the constant production delays. Marvel’s commitment to quality over speed is evident, and the actress's reassurance that the team is focused on delivering a stellar film is welcome news. Despite a tumultuous few years of development, Mahershala Ali and Mia Goth remain attached to the project, while Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre, who were previously part of the cast, have been let go. Adding to the mix, Wesley Snipes recently poked fun at the reboot’s troubles by putting a twist on one of his iconic lines from his original trilogy of films.
Although Blade still rests in the Phase Six slate of upcoming Marvel movies, the journey of bringing the property to the Marvel cinematic universe has been a rollercoaster. Initially slated for a 2022 release, the film was pushed back multiple times due to a variety of behind-the-scenes changes. The original director Bassam Tariq had previously bailed on the project, leading to Yann Demange stepping in to helm the flick. Alongside these directorial changes, the script has seen several revisions to ensure it meets the high standards set by previous Marvel films.
The London-born star’s words reflect a broader trend within Disney and Marvel Studios, which CEO Bob Iger admitted they would be scaling back on greenlighting new projects after several underwhelming box office performances. As the fan-favorite vigilante makes his way to the big screen, Mia’s optimistic outlook suggests the studio's unwavering commitment to excellence. This provides a promising glimpse into what fans can expect from Marvel in the future.
We’ll keep you updated on when Blade finally begins production. In the meantime, though none of the Snipes-helmed Blade films are available, most of the Marvel movies in order and MCU TV shows are available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.
If you want to get an idea of what Mia Goth might bring to Blade, check out her work in Ti West’s series of X horror movies. The final entry, MaXXXine, is set to hit the 2024 movie schedule on July 3. X is available to stream with a Netflix plan, while "Pearl" can be watched with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.
