Blade writer “baffled” by Mahershala Ali’s MCU movie in development hell

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Back in the day, around half a decade ago, it was revealed that Mahershala Ali would be stepping into the role of Marvel’s Blade for the MCU. Yet, here we are, still waiting for his movie to take shape. To me, as a fellow gaming enthusiast and fan of the MCU, this seems nothing short of mind-boggling, just like how I can’t help but wonder if we could roll back the dice on this one and get things moving faster!

In the 2000s, Spider-Man and X-Men are often given recognition for sparking the Marvel movie explosion; however, it’s worth noting that Blade deserves credit too. The trilogy starring Wesley Snipes raked in an impressive $420 million globally, making it one of the most successful entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a highly-anticipated character in Deadpool and Wolverine films.

Unfortunately, it seems they’re still working out the details on how to introduce a new Daywalker character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with only a voice appearance in the Eternals’ end credits for now.

As Phase Six concludes with Avengers: Secret Wars, there’s anticipation that Blade might join the ranks of heroes in Phase Seven. However, the original screenwriter finds it puzzling as to why this transition is taking so much time.

David S. Goyer addresses if he’d return to Blade

As I sat down with Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, I found myself expressing my own perplexity regarding Marvel’s challenges in bringing their project to life, a project that Goyer, who penned the first two Blade films and helmed Trinity, was also puzzled about.

“In my mind, I think Blade is a relatively simple story. It’s not complicated,” he said.

When starting a film such as this, you need to identify its core appeal. The essence of the new Blade is that it delivers intense action, creates a chilling atmosphere, may carry an adult rating, and maintains a straightforward narrative. In other words, it’s intended to be a straight-forward story.

Things have been incredibly tough for me… I’m utterly at a loss. I’ve watched from the sidelines in pure wonder, as Mahershala Ali demonstrates his exceptional acting skills.”

Or more casually:

“Man, this has been a struggle… I honestly don’t know what to make of it all. But let me tell you, Mahershala Ali is an incredible actor that leaves me in awe whenever I see him perform.

There’s speculation about whether or not Goyer might revisit the character, as he stated to Horowitz, “I sometimes lean one way and then the other.

Whenever I browse through social media, there’s often talk like, “Goyer should take on the new Blade.” While that idea sounds intriguing, another part of me wonders, ‘I was the one who did the defining version of Blade thus far, and it could be a misstep.’

Additionally, David S. Goyer shared an intriguing detail: Christopher Nolan recommended against joining the production of Ben Affleck’s Batman due to having written The Dark Knight trilogy, as it could potentially lead to confusion.

During the same interview, Goyer (the writer behind Man of Steel) shared his initial thoughts about James Gunn’s interpretation of Superman.

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2025-06-17 18:18