On September 28, shortly before shooting began, it was announced that Bassam Tariq would not be directing Blade after all. In the weeks that followed, things continued to go downhill: First it was announced that the new edition of the vampire action game would also be completely rewritten, then the effects on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) also became clear: Because the “Blade chaos caused countless theatrical release shifts – from “Deadpool 3” to “Fantastic Four” to the highly anticipated “Avengers: Secret Wars” But that’s how it goes with movies or movie universes that are so closely linked.
But now there is finally some good news about the leech’s comeback: Marvel has not only found a new director, but also a new screenwriter for the project. New director of “Blade” is Yann Demangewill the new script Michael Starbury to write. If the project actually gets done with that team, that should mean the Marvel movies just mentioned will also be spared any further shifts caused by “Blade.”
These are the new “Blade” makers
Yann Demange immediately celebrated his breakthrough with his poignant debut film “’71 – Behind enemy lines” from 2014, which sheds light on the conflict in Northern Ireland in a multifaceted way and has since become a sought-after and versatile filmmaker. In 2018, his crime thriller “White Boy Rick” followed an FBI informant who is eventually sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking. He recently directed an episode of the dark fantasy series Lovecraft Country.
Screenwriter Michael Starrbury is a young talent that we will be hearing more of in the future. Having recently penned an episode of the critically acclaimed series “When They See Us” which has won two Emmys among others, he should now take the next step to Hollywood’s A-League with his commitment to Marvel.
The confusion surrounding ‘Blade’ doesn’t change the cast of the film, by the way. Oscar winner Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”, “Moonlight”) plays Eric Brooks, aka Blade, inherited from Wesley Snipes, who played the leech half-blood in three films from 1998 to 2004. Also present are Delroy Lindo, of Malcolm X and Da 5 Bloods fame, and Aaron Pierre (“Old”), who Krypton fans may know as Dev-Em. Pierre has appeared in all 20 episodes of the Superman series.
After the theatrical release was originally scheduled for 2023, the newly confirmed new date remains ten months later: “Blade” will be released in German cinemas on September 4, 2024. – that is, if the project suffers no further setbacks. Filming will begin in Atlanta sometime next year.
This is how it continues in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Until we actually get to see “Blade”, however, all sorts of other MCU adventures await us. While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in theaters now (which makes DC competitor Black Adam look pretty old), Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania is coming February 15, 2023. Next year, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.3 ( May 3) and Captain Marvel 2 (July 26).