Credit: Marvel StudiosWith Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man/Tony Stark and Chris Evans’ Captain America/Steve Rogers exiting the Marvel Comics-inspired Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the franchise has entered a new era of the MCU — the Multiverse Saga.
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Despite concerns about “superhero fatigue” and the firing of Jonathan Majors, who previously portrayed Kang the Conqueror, Marvel Studios is set to reshape the Marvel movie landscape once again.
In light of Majors’ departure and Marvel President Kevin Feige’s consideration of a transition from the Multiverse Saga to a new (likely) Mutant Saga featuring X-Men characters, Avengers 5, formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and now titled Avengers: Doomsday, is in development.
It is set to lead into Avengers: Secret Wars, which will center Robert Downey Jr.’s new role as the supervillain Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom.
It appears Disney is slowly shifting away from its original Avengers franchise within the MCU, leaning more on Sony’s Spider-Man and 20th Century Fox’s (now 20th Century Studios) X-Men properties, which predate the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the recent Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) has shown.
But that doesn’t mean Marvel is done with the mainline Avengers-associated franchise and superheroic Marvel characters. It might mean that some reshuffling will have to occur, however — and perhaps a few cancelations.
Marvel Reconsiders Movies, Current Slate Up For Cancelation
Are Blade and Armor Wars up for the chopping block? Well, according to insider Daniel Richtman, it appears that Disney and Marvel will “decide the fate” of these two movies soon, considering the convoluted production issues they have both been facing.
Cosmic Marvel on X/Twitter shared the worrying news about the much-maligned Blade MCU reboot starring Mahershala Ali, already gone through multiple sets of creative teams and directors, as well as the unnervingly quiet Armor Wars:
Marvel Studios will reportedly decide the fate of ‘BLADE’ and ‘ARMOR WARS’ in the coming months.
(via @DanielRPK)
Marvel Studios will reportedly decide the fate of ‘BLADE’ and ‘ARMOR WARS’ in the coming months.
(via @DanielRPK) pic.twitter.com/PRt27YY5LX
— Cosmic Marvel (@cosmic_marvel) September 4, 2024
The upcoming Blade movie losing its director, Yann Demange (and frankly, the whole premise) for the second time in a row, alongside other key creatives like Bassam Tariq, has cast a sizeable shadow of doubt over the upcoming superhero film starring Mahershala Ali as the titular Blade/Eric Brooks.
With Armor Wars in a similarly difficult place, initially set to star Don Cheadle as Tony Stark/Iron Man’s best friend, War Machine/Colonel James Rhodes, AKA Rhodey from the Avengers and Iron Man franchise. The last of which we heard that the character had been body-switched for a Skrull in 2022’s Secret Invasion.
User Gabi MG notes that this report is insinuating that Armor Wars has already been scrapped, with its storyline likely being consolidated into the Paul Bettany-led Vision Quest about the White Vision iteration of Vision, while Ali’s Blade may not even be made:
Feels like ‘Armor Wars’ got scrapped and its storyline shifted to ‘Vision Quest’ series, leading up to West Coast Avengers.
And Mahershala Ali’s Blade unfortunately I don’t think will be made.
These movies don’t fit the current Multiverse saga plans.
Feels like 'Armor Wars' got scrapped and its storyline shifted to 'Vision Quest' series, leading up to West Coast Avengers.
And Mahershala Ali's Blade unfortunately I don't think will be made.
These movies don’t fit the current Multiverse saga plans.— Gabi MG 💜 | AGATHA ALL ALONG 🔮 (@GabiMG_News) September 4, 2024
Do you think Disney and Marvel Studios will cancel Blade and Armor Wars? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on MCU’s Blade Reboot
In the upcoming MCU Blade film, Mahershala Ali stars as Eric Brooks, also known as Blade. The cast also includes John West Jr. as DEE, with Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Delroy Lindo in roles that have yet to be revealed. Actress Mia Goth has been eyed for the show’s villain, Lilith.
This new Blade movie is expected to lay the groundwork for the MCU’s version of the Midnight Sons, a supernatural superhero team from the comics. Kit Harington’s Black Knight, who wields the Ebony Blade, and Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight are anticipated to join the team.
Additional members likely to appear include Sorceress Jennifer Kale (played by Sasheer Zamata), who will debut in Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, Ghost Rider (with rumors of Nicolas Cage reprising his role), and possibly Morbius the Living Vampire (Jared Leto from Sony’s Spider-Man Universe). Interestingly, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch in the MCU) also joined the team later in the comics.
In the original Blade film series, key characters included Wesley Snipes as Blade, a half-vampire vampire hunter, his mentor and weaponsmith Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), main antagonist Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), hematologist Karen Jenson (N’Bushe Wright), and in Blade: Trinity, vampire hunters Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds) and Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel), Whistler’s daughter.