Michael B. Jordan hopes the ‘Blade’ reboot will be released eventually. The actor’s comments come as fans worldwide eagerly await news about the vampire hunter’s return to the big screen.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) blockbuster is slated to star Mahershala Ali, 50, as the titular vampire-slaying superhero, though has undergone several major setbacks since its initial announcement in 2019, and now Jordan – who appeared in the MCU with 2018’s ‘Black Panther’ – has shared his hopes that the movie will eventually make it to theatres. The Black Panther film grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide.
“Launching any franchise, it’s tough. I hope it gets together,” the ‘Creed’ star said speaking to GQ. “I want to see a ‘Blade’ movie, you know what I’m saying? The ‘Blade’ franchise was everything.” The original Blade trilogy generated more than $400 million at the global box office.
The film was due to be released in November 2025, though was removed from Disney’s release schedule last October – with ‘Blade’ being replaced by ‘Predator: Badlands‘. This marks one of several significant scheduling shifts in the post-pandemic entertainment landscape.
At the time, Marvel Studios also announced three untitled flicks for release on 18 February 2028, 5 May 2028, and 10 November 2028. Industry analysts estimate these upcoming Marvel projects have combined budgets exceeding $600 million.
The ‘Blade’ reboot has lost several writers and directors over the years, with both Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange boarding the project before departing due to creative differences. The production delays have reportedly cost the studio over $15 million.
Marvel boss Kevin Feige admitted the studio was “still trying to crack” the film and so was not rushing it. “For the last two years as we’ve been trying to crack that movie, the most important thing for us is not rushing it and making sure we are making the right ‘Blade’ movie,” he told BlackTree TV.
Feige added the team wanted to follow in the footsteps of Marvel’s ‘Deadpool’ series by maintaining the franchise’s mature themes and R-rating. “There were some great ‘Blade’ movies years ago – they were all rated-R. So I think that’s, like ‘Deadpool’, inherent with the character of Blade.” The R-rated Deadpool franchise has earned over $1.5 billion globally.
The first ‘Blade’ movie starred Wesley Snipes, 62, as the iconic vampire-slayer, with the 1998 movie spawning two sequels in 2002 and 2004 respectively. The original film is credited with helping launch the modern superhero movie era.
After 20 years away from the character, Snipes’ Blade made a surprise appearance in 2024’s ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ and shared the screen with Ryan Reynolds’ Merc-with-a-Mouth, though the actor admitted he “did not think it was possible” he could ever reprise the role after Ali was cast as the character in the reboot.
“I didn’t think we would be able to pull it off. I didn’t think that Marvel was into it, Disney was into it — also because they had Mahershala cast for the next upcoming version of it,” Snipes said speaking with Entertainment Weekly. The cameo appearance reportedly earned Snipes a seven-figure paycheck.
“I thought it didn’t make sense to me, but [when] you get a call from Ryan Reynolds out of the blue after 20 years, you go, ‘Okay, I got to take this call. Let’s see what this is about.’ He told me the idea … They said ,’yes’ and, ‘it’s a go.’ ‘If you’re in, we’re in.’ Here we are.” The surprise cameo was kept secret throughout production, with only a handful of crew members aware of Snipes’ involvement.
This development adds another layer of complexity to the already intricate process of bringing the new Blade to screens, as fans express excitement over both Snipes’ return and Ali’s upcoming interpretation. The franchise’s future remains one of Marvel’s most anticipated and closely watched projects.
