Credit: New Line CinemaThe Walt Disney Company officially pulled Marvel Studios’ long-gestating Blade reboot from its 2025 release calendar in 2024, and now the Daywalker’s future inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe appears to be shifting once again.
Blade Officially Removed From Marvel’s Release Slate
Marvel’s troubled Blade reboot hit another major roadblock in late 2024 when Disney quietly removed the film from its upcoming theatrical schedule. Originally slated for a 2024 debut, before being pushed to November 7, 2025, the Mahershala Ali-led project has faced years of creative turmoil since its announcement in 2019.
The reboot was set to reintroduce the iconic vampire hunter—previously portrayed by Wesley Snipes—into the MCU, but development has been anything but smooth. Blade has cycled through multiple writers and directors. Creatives attached at various stages included Stacy Osei-Kaffeur, Bassam Tariq, Michael Starbury, Michael Green, Nic Pizzolatto, and Yann Demange. Mia Goth (Pearl) remains attached to star opposite Ali.
“For the last few years, we’ve been trying to crack that movie,” Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Black Tree TV previously. “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, of course, referencing New Line Cinema’s Blade trilogy starring Wesley Snipes, which helped pave the way for modern superhero cinema in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Snipes, of course, made his MCU debut in the Multiversal movie, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).
As speculation around Blade’s status grew—fueled by its absence from San Diego Comic-Con and Marvel’s increasingly cautious release strategy—confirmation finally arrived in October 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 at the time.
Predator: Badlands served as a follow-up to 2022’s Prey, with director Dan Trachtenberg returning and Elle Fanning (Maleficent, The Complete Unknown) leading the next chapter of the iconic franchise.
While Blade’s removal disappointed fans, the character isn’t disappearing entirely. Marvel still has multiple unclaimed release dates across the coming years, including three locked-in theatrical slots in 2028—February 18, May 5, and November 10—which are expected to help launch Phase Seven following Avengers: Secret Wars in December 2027.
But they may not even be for Blade, per new reports.
Blade Rumored for Midnight Sons
Blade’s solo film is now reportedly scrapped after suffering a turbulent development process. New rumors suggest Marvel may be positioning the character for a team-based debut instead. Industry chatter now points to Blade appearing in the long-rumored Midnight Sons movie, which has yet to be officially announced but has been steadily gaining momentum behind the scenes.
“…during this week’s episode of The Hot Mic, Jeff Sneider said he’s heard that the Blade reboot is now “dead,” but the plan is for Ali to make his MCU debut as the character in the Midnight Sons movie,” Comic Book Movie reported.
The Midnight Sons (sometimes spelled “Midnight Suns”) are Marvel Comics’ supernatural answer to the Avengers—a darker, horror-leaning team assembled to combat mystical and occult threats that traditional heroes can’t handle. Blade has long been a central figure in the group across various comic runs.
In the comics, the Midnight Sons typically include characters such as Blade, Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange, Werewolf by Night, and occasionally Elsa Bloodstone—many of whom have already been introduced into the MCU. The team specializes in battling vampires, demons, dark magic, and interdimensional horrors, making Blade a natural fit as both a fighter and a moral anchor.
If Marvel is indeed shifting Blade’s MCU introduction to Midnight Sons, it would allow the studio to integrate the character organically while avoiding the pressure of launching another standalone franchise during a scaled-back production era.
Blade Quietly Recast for Marvel Zombies
Although Blade no longer has a confirmed live-action release date, Marvel Studios still pushed the character forward—just not in the way fans expected.
Marvel Zombies, the animated Disney+ series spun out of What If…?, featured a Multiversal variant of Blade known as Blade Knight. The series, which carries a TV-MA rating and is part of Phase Six, was originally envisioned as a feature-length project before being reworked into a four-episode miniseries.
The cast includes returning MCU favorites like Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop), and Dominique Thorne (Ironheart), alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Randall Park, and Awkwafina.
However, Blade was not voiced by Mahershala Ali. Instead, Invincible actor Todd Williams was cast as Blade Knight.
Despite the recast, Kevin Feige has reiterated that Ali remains attached to the live-action Blade project, noting that multiple versions—both period-set and modern—have been explored before Marvel settled on a contemporary take; that is, before these latest reports surfaced. Marvel Zombies premiered on Disney+ on September 24, 2025, with all four episodes releasing at once.
Marvel’s New Strategy Changes Everything
Blade’s removal also aligns with Disney CEO Bob Iger’s broader overhaul of Marvel Studios’ output. Going forward, the studio is limiting itself to fewer releases per year, with a renewed emphasis on quality over quantity.
Kevin Feige later acknowledged that the increasing interconnectedness between films and Disney+ shows may have made the franchise feel overwhelming for casual audiences.
Phase Five concluded with Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and Thunderbolts* (2025), while Phase Six kicked off with 2025’s The Fantastic Four: The First Steps. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently in development and set for a July 31, 2026, release.
With Blade’s standalone future uncertain, all eyes are now on where—and when—Mahershala Ali’s Daywalker will finally emerge in the MCU.
Do you think Blade should debut through Midnight Sons instead of a solo film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.