Credit: Inside the MagicIs this the second coming of Morbius (2022)?
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Following Robert Downey Jr.’s selfless sacrifice as Iron Man/Tony Stark and Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers passing the Captain America mantle to Anthony Mackie’s Falcon/Sam Wilson, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is now preparing to confront even greater challenges.
The Avengers are more or less disbanded, and the remaining superheroes on Earth are on the brink of facing monumental challenges as the franchise navigates the Multiverse Saga, encompassing Marvel Studios’ Phase Four, Phase Five, and Phase Six. This expansive Multiversal storyline will culminate in the upcoming Avengers 5 (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) and Avengers 6, Avengers: Secret Wars in the MCU’s future.
A build up to those movies are expected, and recently, a much-anticipated Marvel Studios reboot movie has become the subject of online backlash once again, with the MCU potentially adding yet another movie cancellation to its slate.
Related: Disney’s Upcoming ‘WandaVision’ Sequel: Every Character Confirmed
Is This Goodbye to the Blade Reboot?
Marvel President Kevin Feige is eager to refocus the MCU on a more “grounded” and “street-level” approach following the dismissal of Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country), who portrayed Kang the Conqueror.
The MCU’s street-level team will be led by Spider-Man/Peter Parker star Tom Holland, whose upcoming Spider-Man 4 will follow up Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and Charlie Cox’s Daredevil/Matt Murdock from soon-to-be-revived Daredevil: Born Again (2024).
Meanwhile, the MCU’s “supernatural-level” team is likely to introduce a rumored United Kingdom (UK)-based Avengers, most likely centered around the supernatural-leaning Midnight Sons group of heroes from the Marvel Comics.
Hollywood and Marvel insider Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) recently reported that Disney and Marvel have encountered another snag with the upcoming Blade movie reboot starring Mahershala Ali as the titular Blade/Eric Brooks, with the film reportedly losing a key chunk of its core creative force, writer Michael Green.
This news follows the previous shake-up in Blade‘s creative direction, when director Bassam Tariq and Stacy Osei-Kuffour were replaced by Emmy-nominated writer Michael Starrbury and writer Nic Pizzolatto. Those two also eventually departed the project, subsequently replaced by director Yann Demange and the aforementioned Green — who is now also out of the picture.
Furthermore, a new “male main villain” is set to be cast, with Marvel Studios on the hunt for a replacement lead writer. Regardless, it appears that Disney has “set” a story for the new Blade film, with production alleged to begin come autumn of this year, in either Mexico or Brazil.
Marvel Film News shared this disheartening report to X/Twitter, to a shocked (and now frustrated) fanbase:
‘BLADE’ is going through another round of major rewrites
Michael Green has left, Marvel is looking for another writer
Despite this, the story is set and it’s slated to begin filming in Mexico or Brazil in Fall 2024
A new casting for a male main villain has been created
‘BLADE’ is going through another round of major rewrites
Michael Green has left, Marvel is looking for another writer
Despite this, the story is set and it’s slated to begin filming in Mexico or Brazil in Fall 2024
A new casting for a male main villain has been created pic.twitter.com/cdAiy0fdGn
— MarvelFilmNews (@MarvelNewsFilms) May 24, 2024
The seemingly straightforward “vampire hunter” plotline undergoing such major, continuous change is getting serious flak from fans. Responses on social media range from accusations of incompetence to pleas for Disney and Marvel to “just cancel the movie” already and “free [fans] from this”:
@trito_king: Literally get the guys from John wick and make the story of Blade hunting down vampires how hard is this.
Literally get the guys from John wick and make the story of Blade hunting down vampires how hard is this.
— 👑 trito slam (@trito_king) May 25, 2024
@GUXSquallNoctis: JUST CANCEL THE MOVIE AND FREE US FROM THIS
JUST CANCEL THE MOVIE AND FREE US FROM THIS
— The Princess Favorite Toy (@GUXSquallNoctis) May 25, 2024
The following contains language that might not be suitable for younger readers.
@chris_eternal_: What in the actual FUCK? Michael Green was perfect, why is there so many issues with getting this done it’s the most basic plot anyone can conjure up,
What in the actual FUCK? Michael Green was perfect, why is there so many issues with getting this done it’s the most basic plot anyone can conjure up,
— Chris (@chris_eternal_) May 24, 2024
Others have their own conspiracy theories as to why this is happening on such a consistent basis:
@Graff_Freelance: I honestly think that Disney greenlit this movie on the basis that they could remove the aspects of Blade that didn’t mesh with the Disney brand, only to find out that……… no, you can’t do that.
So now, they’re deadlocked in making a movie that runs counter to their image
I honestly think that Disney greenlit this movie on the basis that they could remove the aspects of Blade that didn't mesh with the Disney brand, only to find out that……… no, you can't do that.
So now, they're deadlocked in making a movie that runs counter to their image.
— Andrew Graff (@Graff_Freelance) May 25, 2024
With such an adverse reaction to this news, it seems as if fans are losing faith in this new Marvel movie, just as production seems to be losing steam. Will Blade debut with even a mildly coherent plot and character progression, at this rate? Will the constant, major rewrites impact the film in any way?
Seeing as Blade has already transitioned from a dark, period piece set in the history of the MCU to a more modern superhero concept tying in more closely to recent events, it’s likely that only time will tell if Blade is even made at all. Fans can expect Disney to announce a delay in Blade’s release in the near future, as the new “three Marvel movies a year” plan outlined by Disney management will clearly be put to the test.
Do you think this rewrite could save Blade? Or is the movie doomed? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on Blade
In the upcoming MCU Blade film, Mahershala Ali stars as Eric Brooks/Blade. He is joined by John West Jr. as DEE, with Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Delroy Lindo in yet-to-be-revealed roles.
This new reboot movie is expected to introduce the MCU’s version of the Midnight Sons superhero team from the Marvel comic book world, featuring Kit Harington’s Ebony Blade-wielding Black Knight and likely Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight.
Others likely to join this supernatural hero team include Sorceress Jennifer Kale (played by Sasheer Zamata), who will debut in the WandaVision (2021) sequel Agatha All Along (2024), Ghost Rider (rumored to feature Nicolas Cage), and possibly (though unlikely), Morbius the Living Vampire (Jared Leto from the Sony Spider-Man Universe, or SSU).
Doctor Strange (portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in the MCU) also joins the team later on in the Marvel Comics.
In the original Blade (1998) film series, key characters include Blade (Wesley Snipes), a half-vampire vampire hunter; Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), his mentor and weaponsmith; Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), the main antagonist; Karen Jenson (N’Bushe Wright), a hematologist seeking a cure; Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds), a former vampire hunter; and Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel), Whistler’s daughter and a vampire hunter introduced in 2004’s Blade: Trinity.