Mahershala Ali’s ‘Blade’ Film Has Been Delayed Again

n perhaps the least surprising Marvel announcement in a long time, Disney has removed Blade from its November 7, 2025, release slot.

A reboot of the Blade franchise was initially announced in 2019, with Mahershala Ali set to star as the popular vampire hunter.

At the time, Marvel was coming off the highs of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Ali, meanwhile, had just found major success with the Green Book.

‘Blade’s’ Distorous Production

Interestingly,  it was Ali who first contacted Marvel about rebooting the Blade franchise. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the actor saw the role as “his Black Panther.”

Since Blade was announced, however, production on the film has been an abject disaster. Over the last five years, the film has been delayed three times, gone through six different screenwriters, and is currently looking for its third director.

Photo: The Cosmic Circus

Despite the fact that six years have passed since the film was initially announced and Blade is no closer to hitting theaters, both Ali and Marvel seemed dedicated to getting the film made.

Amid the latest upheaval in Blade’s production, which included director Yann Demange’s exit and screenwriter Eric Pearson’s arrival, Marvel surprisingly kept the film’s November 7, 2025, release date.

While it was clear to anyone paying attention that Blade would never be ready by that date, Disney and Marvel persisted. At D23: The Ultimate Fan Event, however, Kevin Feige failed to mention Blade alongside other 2025 films, including Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four, and Captain America: Brave New World.

Image: Marvel

Needless to say, the writing was on the wall.

Disney Makes it Official

Today, Disney officially removed Blade from its release schedule. Instead of the Marvel film, 20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands will now open on November 7, 2025.

Photo: Marvel

An updated release date has not been announced for Blade. According to Deadline, however, Marvel has three scheduled releases for 2028. Perhaps that will be the time that Mahershala Ali finally suits up.