The MCU has struggled to get Blade off the ground, but a good movie about the iconic daywalker hunting down vampires shouldn’t be this hard.

Mahershala Ali as Blade

The MCU’s upcoming Blade movie has been plagued with production issues, but a good Blade movie shouldn’t be hard to make. Blade follows Eric Brooks, a human/vampire hybrid (Daywalker) who hunts down other vampires in an attempt to eradicate them all. The Blade reboot to be set in the MCU was first announced in 2019. The new Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali is expected to be released in November 2025 and will be the first Blade movie since Blade: Trinity came out in 2004.

Blade is part of Phase Six of the ongoing Multiverse Saga for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character first appeared in the post-credit scene of Eternals as he, off-screen, briefly interacts with Kit Harrington’s Black Knight. Nothing has come about for that post-credit scene yet, and it is the only acknowledgment of Blade in the MCU so far. When the dust settles and Blade finally releases, it will have been over six years since Kevin Fiege brought Ali on stage at San Diego Comic-Con to announce his arrival in the MCU.

Marvel Already Knows The Best Way To Make Blade (So What’s The Issue?)

A Vampire Killer Killing Vampires Is Perfectly Simple

Blade readying his razor-sharp boomerang with a grin in Blade 1998

Mahershala Ali has the challenge of following in the footsteps of Wesley Snipes, whose take on the iconic daywalker in the original Blade trilogy still holds up to this day. The Oscar-winning actor has proven time and again that he is more than up for it, but for some reason, Marvel Studios is having a hard time getting the highly-anticipated film off the ground. Blade already has the perfect premise ready to go.

A good Blade movie shouldn’t be over-complicated as the premise of Mahershala Ali fighting vampires should be the driving force behind the movie. Focusing on this main idea and nailing the fight choreography, cinematography, and production design could truly elevate the movie. A straightforward, gorgeously stylized movie should be the top priority, which makes it all the more confusing that the MCU is having a hard time getting it right.

Blade’s MCU Delays & Production Issues Explained

The Daywalker Has Had a Difficult Road To The MCU

Mahershala Ali as Vector in Alita Battle Angel

Blade has had numerous production issues as Marvel tries to get their vampire film up to par. Bassam Tariq was the original director attached to the film but was removed due to production schedule issues. Yann Demange, best known as a producer for Lovecraft Country, is his replacement. Creative problems were the biggest issue for the film, with the script rewritten by Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner 2049). The WGA strike was also a reason for the delayed production schedule.

The woes didn’t end there, though. There were also rumors of Mahershala Ali being unhappy with the production of the movie and ready to leave the project altogether. That didn’t happen, and he is pleased with the direction the movie is taking now. Because of these issues, Blade was pushed back an entire year from its original release date of November 2023.

It’s been a bumpy road so far for Blade’s production, but things will hopefully turn around and the Marvel Cinematic Universe can have a truly great Blade film. Boiling down the movie to an action-heavy, stylish film where Blade hunts down other vampires should be what the MCU is aiming for with this film. If they can pull it off, Blade could be one of the best films Marvel has put out in a while. The MCU has a long history of making great films about interesting characters, and the one about Blade shouldn’t be this hard.