Blade
Photo Credit: FilmMagic/FilmMagic for HBO
Why Didn't the 'Blade' Remake Make Marvel's Movie Release Announcement?
Fans on social media reacted with shock at the Blade remake's absence from Marvel's recent reveal.
On Monday, Marvel Studios released their trailer for the upcoming Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The media giant thanked fans for their continued support, and at the end of the announcement, revealed the release dates for ten films set for release between 2021 and 2023. However, there was a conspicuous absence: the Blade remake starring Mahershala Ali.
Marvel officially announced the remake at San Diego's Comic-Con back in 2019. This past February, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Ali personally recruited Stacy Osei-Kuffour, a playwright, writer, and story editor for HBO's Watchmen to write the script for the reboot. According to THR, only Black writers were seriously considered. Given the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the ability for studios to film, it shouldn't come as a major surprise that the project isn't that far out of the planning stages.
While some fans expressed shock and disappointment, some pointed to a possible preview in the post-credits of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Others were optimistic that the studio is taking its time to perfectly execute the project.
\u201cWhen I saw that Blade is not on that upcoming Marvel Studios slate graphic.\u201d— Alan Johnson (@Alan Johnson) 1620055224
\u201cNo Blade announcement in that Marvel rollout....\u201d— Qoc (@Qoc) 1620054430
"No Blade update is ok to me," one user wrote. "It could mean they're rethinking the PG-13 rating. Take your time @Marvel, do not mess this up for us."
Even Flying Lotus, who recently provided the soundtrack to Netflix original anime Yasuke, took to Twitter to share a dream about the project.
\u201cJust had a vision of doing the soundtrack for the new BLADE movie. That could be dope \ud83e\udd14\u201d— FLYLO (@FLYLO) 1620057464
Wesley Snipes, who played the original hero in 1998, was not involved in the reboot, but expressed support for the decision to cast Ali in the role.
"Although the news comes as a surprise, it's ALL GOOD," he said in a statement to Comic Book. "Such is the business of entertainment!" Snipes went on to call Ali "a beautiful and talented artist whose expressions I look forward to experiencing for many years to come."
Stay tuned for further updates on the status of the Blade reboot, Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and much more.
