Getting a movie off the ground can be a bit like trying to ice-skate uphill. And while things have been moving along nicely on the MCU’s long-awaited Blade movie, bringing in Mahershala Ali as the vampire-slaying Daywalker, the film has now hit a pretty considerable snag: director Bassam Tariq, previously behind Mogul Mowgli, will no longer be helming the project. The news comes just a couple of months prior to the scheduled shoot – so either expect a replacement to be announced shortly, or the film to be nudged back a bit. Tariq will remain as executive producer.
“Due to continued shifts in our production schedule, Bassam is no longer moving forward as director of Blade but will remain an executive producer on the film,” said Marvel in a statement to THR. “We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.” Tariq also released a statement on his departure: “It’s been an honour working with the wonderful folks at Marvel. We were able to put together a killer cast and crew. Eager to see where the next director takes the film.”
Beyond Ali, Blade is due to star Delroy Lindo and Old’s Aaron Pierre – and while he hasn’t been seen on screen yet, Ali’s incarnation of the title character was teased in the post-credits sequence of Eternals, in a brief vocal cameo. At San Diego Comic-Con, Kevin Feige confirmed that Blade will arrive in the middle of Marvel’s planned Phase 5 – due to hit cinemas on 3 November 2023. And with the recent arrival of Moon Knight and the impending Werewolf By Night special dropping this Halloween, the spooky supernatural arm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is growing. Or, it will be when they find a new Blade director.