Struggling Disney Indefinitely Shelves Troubled Film About Black Superhero: Report
Disney and Marvel Studios are putting a big — but expected — damper on fan excitement when it comes to one of the forefathers of the superhero movie genre.
During a time where a struggling Disney desperately needs a win in the wake of poorly received (or outright canceled) major projects, horrific public relations, and all sorts of issues at the box office, one of its most potent vessels for recapturing that magic appears to have been shelved — with no return date in sight.
According to a somber report from Deadline, Disney has removed the also-struggling film “Blade” from its upcoming 2025 release calendar.
(The film was originally slated for a Nov. 7, 2025 release date.)
“Blade,” which is about the titular black vampire hunter (and a half-vampire himself), was first formally announced by Marvel Studios in 2019 — alongside actor Mahershala Ali as the lead — and has seen nothing but troubles since.
First, and perhaps most importantly, “Blade” saw its original filming timeline completely derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic that saw swathes of the civilized world shut down in response.
Secondly, “Blade” has also survived a pair of strikes (one for actors and one for writers) that rocked Hollywood.
Third, the film has seen not one, but two directors depart the project since its inception — never a great sign when it comes to continuity in a film.
Fans of “Blade” won’t find much solace in the Deadline report, as it effectively stated that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige’s desire to create a perfect “Blade” movie outweighs any timetable or road map.
“For Marvel Boss Kevin Feige, it’s important to make the best Blade movie ever,” the report noted. “The studio won’t make the movie until they’ve cracked a great script.”
Reading between the lines, it means the movie’s going to be shelved indefinitely “until they’ve cracked a great script” — a rather nebulous marker.
Adding to the concern, as Variety reported, Disney added a trio of unnamed projects to its 2025 slate, which could further divert potential resources away from the date-less “Blade.”
Marvel Studios has removed its reboot of “Blade” — starring Mahershala Ali as the titular half-vampire — from the release calendar. It was dated for Nov. 7, 2025. https://t.co/4eQk5AnMJz
— Variety (@Variety) October 22, 2024
The forthcoming “Blade” movie is a reboot of a trilogy of highly successful superhero movies from the late ’90s and early aughts.
The original “Blade” movie came out in 1998 from New Line Cinema studios and starred actor Wesley Snipes in the lead role.
The movie was enough of a hit to spawn a pair of sequels, 2002’s “Blade II” and 2004’s “Blade: Trinity.”
Per Deadline, that trilogy of “Blade” films would end up “grossing $418.1M at the worldwide box office, unadjusted for inflation.”
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