Marvel’s highly anticipated Blade franchise reboot has been put on an indefinite hiatus. This announcement comes on the heels of turbulent shifts within its creative and casting team. The film takes an interesting new approach to the iconic vampire hunter in the form of the Daywalker. There have been several stumbles since, most notably the loss of top executives and a lack of clarity over its creative vision.
Eric Pearson penned the most recent draft of the screenplay. That would be the sixth writer to be officially assigned to that project. Other writers who have worked on Blade include Michael Green, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Michael Starrbury, Beau DeMayo and Nic Pizzolatto – the latter being a controversial addition. Pearson’s script had reportedly “finally satisfied everyone involved,” but this consensus has since dissolved, leading to questions about the film’s future.
At first, Delroy Lindo was rumored to play a character with a “Marcus Garvey-esque component” in Blade. However, he has since left the project, fueling doubts over the film’s progress. Lindo’s departure is particularly startling due to the exuberance he channeled into his character. That role empowered the women to add so much depth to the storyline.
Besides Lindo’s departure, famous DJ and producer Flying Lotus was brought on to create the soundtrack for Blade. His birth name, in fact, is Steven Ellison. However, just the other day he was down on the prospects of that film being able to circle back into production. All the recent confusion surrounding the project has even given industry insiders and fans cause to wonder if it’s actually happening.
Not to say that the studio didn’t think big for Blade. With a multiverse storyline, they saw the opportunity to showcase all the different, past and present storylines with the character. The ambitious new direction hoped to unite all variations of the Daywalker, possibly even crossing paths with collaborations featuring Wesley Snipes. After a long hiatus, Snipes made a cameo appearance recently in the forthcoming Deadpool and Wolverine ensemble. Fans responded enthusiastically, setting the stage for his long-awaited return to the legendary character he’s portrayed on and off since the late 1990s/early 2000s.
Yann Demange, who directed the upcoming ‘Til Death, has come aboard to direct the latest drafts of Blade. He succeeds Bassam Tariq, who was originally supposed to direct the effort. Demange’s vision called for an R-rating for the film, playing into the darker tones that have long characterized the character. Yet, given the continued developments and artistic/contentious wrangling, it’s hard to tell whether this vision will succeed in reality.
Meanwhile, MCU competitor Marvel is rebooting Blade to diversify their cinematic universe. This strategic decision has been made to seek out new voices, stories, and journeys. With notable changes to both the cast and behind the creative direction, the future of the ambitious project is now unclear.