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Credit: 20th Century StudiosThe Walt Disney Company officially took Marvel Studios’ Blade off its release schedule last year, and now the famous daywalker has been recast at the superhero studio.
Blade Pulled From Marvel Cinematic Universe Slate
Marvel’s long-troubled Blade reboot hit a wall in late 2024, as Disney has now removed the film from its upcoming calendar. Once targeting a 2024 release before shifting to November 2025, the Mahershala Ali–led film has been plagued by creative shake-ups and extended delays since its announcement in 2019.
The movie, which would introduce Ali as the vampire hunter previously portrayed by Wesley Snipes, has gone through multiple directors and writers, most recently Yann Demange, who parted ways with the project earlier this year. Other creatives attached at various points include Stacy Osei-Kaffeur, Bassam Tariq, Michael Starbury, Michael Green, and Nic Pizzolato. Mia Goth (Pearl) is still slated to co-star alongside Ali.
“For the last few years, we’ve been trying to crack that movie,” Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Black Tree TV last year.
“I think the most important thing for us is not rushing it and making sure that we’re making the right Blade movie because there were some great Blade movies years ago.” Feige was referencing the Snipes-led Blade trilogy from New Line Cinema in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Given the rocky production history, Feige’s comments, and the project’s absence from San Diego Comic-Con, industry speculation around Blade’s status has been mounting. That speculation was confirmed on October 22, 2024.
“In what comes as no surprise, Marvel Studios’ Blade won’t be coming out on November 7, 2025; rather, Disney is opening 20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands,” Deadline reported.
The newly scheduled release, Predator: Badlands, serves as a follow-up to 2022’s critically acclaimed Prey. Dan Trachtenberg, who directed Prey, is returning to helm the new Predator installment, with Elle Fanning (Maleficent) attached as the lead.
For Marvel fans, the delay may sting despite Wesley Snipes’ recent return to theaters in Deadpool & Wolverine, which crossed the billion-dollar mark shortly after its July 2024 debut. Blade’s MCU arrival isn’t gone for good, though — Marvel still has several unclaimed release slots across the next few years, where the film could resurface.
Marvel has also already locked in three release dates for 2028: February 18, May 5, and November 10. These films are expected to help launch Phase Seven, following the highly anticipated Avengers: Secret Wars in December 2027.
Marvel Recasts Blade for Upcoming Project
Marvel Studios is heading into darker territory with its upcoming animated series Marvel Zombies, a spin-off born from the fan-favorite What If…? episode that asked what might happen if a quantum virus turned Earth’s heroes into the undead. The series, confirmed as part of Phase Six of the MCU, takes that concept even further, bringing a TV-MA rating to Disney+ for the very first time in Marvel animation.
The show was originally conceived as a feature-length project before being restructured into a four-episode miniseries. Zeb Wells serves as creator and head writer, with Bryan Andrews stepping in as showrunner and director. The animation will be handled once again by Stellar Creative Lab, which is behind the stylized look of Marvel’s other animated projects.
Marvel Zombies won’t directly adapt the popular comic book storyline from Robert Kirkman but will instead branch out with its own narrative. Picking up where What If…? left off, the series follows a group of survivors navigating a world overrun by zombified Avengers and villains. Heroes like Captain America, Scarlet Witch, and even Thanos are among those transformed, turning once-protective figures into horrifying threats.
The cast is packed with familiar Marvel favorites returning to voice their roles. Iman Vellani returns as Ms. Marvel, joined by Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, and Dominique Thorne as Ironheart.
Elizabeth Olsen reprises her role as Wanda Maximoff, while Randall Park and Awkwafina also lend their voices. On the other side of the fight, audiences can expect to see zombified versions of Captain Marvel, Ikaris, Hawkeye, Ghost, Abomination, and more.
Amid the many returning cast members, though, comes a surprising new addition in the form of Invincible‘s Todd Williams. Williams will officially voice the Multiversal Blade Variant, Blade Knight–a role very much expected to be taken by the MCU’s live-action Blade actor, Mahershala Ali.
“Surprisingly, this might also act as the debut for Blade in the Marvel film line, with actor Todd Williams taking on a very different interpretation of the Day Walker,” Comic Book wrote in a recent update on the series.
Despite being recast here and having no movie in sight, Kevin Feige assured reporters earlier this year that Ali was still attached to the project. The Marvel boss also said that four versions of Blade, both period and modern-day works, have been in development, with Marvel finally landing on a modern-day interpretation.
Marvel Zombies will premiere on Disney+ on September 24, 2025, with all four episodes dropping at once. The release date was originally set for October 3 but was moved forward, giving fans an earlier look at Marvel’s boldest animated project yet.
With a more mature rating, a condensed format, and a focus on survival horror, Marvel Zombies looks set to deliver something entirely new for the MCU, while still tying into the wider Multiverse storytelling Marvel has been building across its films and series.
Blade’s removal also aligns with Disney CEO Bob Iger’s recently announced changes to Marvel’s production strategy. Going forward, Marvel Studios would be limited to three films and two Disney+ shows per year.
Kevin Feige later doubled down on the slimmed-down output, telling select journalists that the interconnectedness of the big and small screen projects may be putting people off going to see new movies in theaters.
In 2024, Iger also emphasized that Marvel would need to scale back and focus on quality control after a turbulent stretch for the studio. Alongside these restrictions, Marvel TV has undergone a creative restructuring under Brad Winderbaum, who confirmed the implementation of a “new system” at the studio.
The streamlined approach left only three Marvel titles for 2025. Phase Five closed with Captain America: Brave New World in February and Thunderbolts* in May, while Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four: The First Steps kicked off Phase Six in July.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently in production after Tom Holland revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that filming will begin in 2025. The fourth Spider-Man MCU/Sony Pictures entry will hit movie theaters on July 31, 2026.
With Blade’s fate now sealed, the question becomes when Ali’s long-awaited introduction to the MCU will finally arrive.
How do you feel about Blade’s removal from the schedule? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments below.