Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said he feels like a failure over the studio’s inability to get its long-gestating “Blade” reboot starring Mahershala Ali off the ground, admitting the project remains one of his biggest professional disappointments.
Appearing on Joshua Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast while promoting “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Mr. Feige said he was “a gigantic loser and failure that we didn’t get off the ground with Mahershala.” He added that he was nonetheless glad Marvel had brought Wesley Snipes back for a cameo as the original Blade in 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
Marvel first announced Mr. Ali as the new Blade during its 2019 San Diego Comic-Con presentation, with the two-time Oscar winner making a surprise appearance onstage. The project was originally slated for a November 2023 release but was hit with a string of setbacks, including director Bassam Tariq’s exit in September 2022, just two months before shooting was to begin, and the departure of his replacement, Yann Demange, in 2024. The film also lost momentum during the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and cycled through multiple screenwriters, including “Watchmen” writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour. Disney removed “Blade” from its release calendar in October 2024 after multiple delays.
Mr. Feige has previously said the delays stemmed from Marvel’s reluctance to rush a script it didn’t consider strong enough. Discussing the project at a 2025 press event, he explained that the studio didn’t want to simply put a leather outfit on Mr. Ali “and have him start killing vampires,” adding that the character deserved something more unique than what earlier drafts had delivered.
Mr. Ali has continued to voice interest in the role even as the project stalled, telling reporters last year that he remained ready to begin filming whenever Marvel called. Several entertainment outlets interpreted Mr. Feige’s comments as signaling that the Ali version is unlikely to move forward, though Marvel has not formally announced the project’s cancellation. Some entertainment reports have suggested Marvel is exploring a “Midnight Sons” project that could include Blade, though the studio has not announced such a film officially.
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