Marvel Just Buried the Blade Movie… But Blade Isn’t Going Anywhere

Everything We Know After the Latest Avengers Doomsday Teaser Chaos

Marvel has been dropping Avengers Doomsday teaser trailers like confetti lately — cameos from almost every Marvel character you can think of… except Blade. And the reason is both hilarious and tragic.

Yep. It finally looks like the Blade movie is actually dead.

Marvel apparently decided that making a movie about a guy who hunts vampires is… too difficult? Even though they’ve made three Blade movies before? Even though everyone wants it? Even though Mahershala Ali literally won Oscars?

But here we are.

Even though the movie seems buried, Marvel still has big plans for Mahershala Ali’s Blade in the MCU. He’s still the official, canon Blade — just not in the standalone movie we’ve been waiting on since 2019.

Let’s break down what happened, why it all fell apart, and how Blade actually fits into Marvel’s next phase.

The Blade Movie Announced in 2019… And Then Fell Off the Face of the Earth

Remember Comic-Con 2019? That’s when Marvel boldly announced that Mahershala Ali would be the new Blade. That hype lasted approximately 15 minutes before everything went off the rails:

• Dozens of rewrites
• Directors joining and leaving
• Storylines scrapped, rewritten, scrapped again
• Mahershala Ali rejecting every draft
• Marvel trying to force the movie into different phases

It’s like Marvel was ice skating uphill trying to make this thing work.

And yes — Wesley Snipes noticed.

Wesley Snipes Has Thoughts… And Ryan Reynolds Is Stirring the Pot

As this Blade chaos unfolded, Wesley Snipes has been very vocal about Marvel trying to reboot Blade without him.

Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds — fresh off developing Deadpool & Wolverine — has been campaigning for a proper Logan-style send-off for Wesley Snipes. He wants Snipes to get the emotional, final, legacy closure he never got in the 2000s.

Kevin Feige, of course, is not giving Snipes a solo movie again… but he’s also not ignoring him. Which brings us to the most interesting development:

Wesley Snipes’ Blade Will Return in Avengers Doomsday / Secret Wars

Marvel is pulling out everyone for Secret Wars. Everyone.

And yes — that includes:

Wesley Snipes’ Blade.

He’s considered one of the foundational figures of modern superhero cinema. Blade walked so X-Men and Spider-Man could run. Without Blade in 1998, studio executives don’t greenlight a cinematic universe at all.

So of course Marvel is bringing him back for one last ride.

Marvel Quietly Removed the Blade Movie From the Release Schedule

The biggest sign that the standalone Blade film is done?

Marvel deleted it from their release calendar.

Gone. Vanished. Faded into the wind like vampire dust in sunlight.

They replaced it with three mysterious 2028 films, which likely include:

• Midnight Suns
• Another supernatural crossover
• Something tied to Secret Wars fallout

This is Marvel practically saying:

“We can’t figure out this Blade movie. Let’s pivot.”

And honestly… that might be the right move.

Midnight Suns: The Real Reason Blade Got Sidelined

Here’s the real pivot:

Marvel is way more excited about a Midnight Suns movie.

And the best part?

Mahershala Ali will still be one of the leads.

Midnight Suns is the supernatural Avengers squad:

Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night, Ghost Rider, Blade, and more.

And rumors are buzzing that Jordan Peele has been in talks to direct a Marvel film. Imagine Jordan Peele’s horror style mixed with supernatural Marvel weirdness.

A Jordan Peele Midnight Suns is way better than a struggling standalone Blade.

Moon Knight Might Skip the Next Two Avengers Movies

A lot of fans noticed that Moon Knight was missing from the Avengers Doomsday announcements. That might be on purpose.

Marvel seems to be saving him for the supernatural lane — not the big cosmic multiverse lineup.

This is why Midnight Suns is becoming such a huge priority.

What Happened Behind the Scenes of the Blade Movie?

Oh boy. This is where things get messy — and interesting.

Multiple writers worked on Blade, but one of the most talked-about drafts came from the X-Men ‘97 showrunner Beau DeMayo, long before Marvel fired him.

He revealed he wrote:

• 3 full scripts
• 12 outlines
• In only 3 months

His favorite pitch?

A gritty Raid-style survival movie:

The “Raid-Style” Blade Movie They Never Made

In DeMayo’s version:

• Blade protects a rundown tenement from Varney’s vampire hordes
• The entire movie happens over one night
• Jericho Drum (Brother Voodoo) appears
• A woman mysteriously impregnated with Lilith becomes the key
• The tenants turn out to be Darkhold cultists

Think 30 Days of Night meets Rosemary’s Baby.

Blade becomes protector, mentor, and possibly father-figure to Lilith — the mother of all demons.

And then Marvel scrapped it.

Other Scrapped Blade Versions Included…

There were so many rewrites:

1. A version with Blade’s daughter
2. A version with Kit Harington’s Black Knight hunting Dracula
3. A 1920s period-piece exploring the Ebony Blade’s history
4. Lilith appearing in past and present
5. Blade becoming “Blade Knight” in Marvel Zombies

Every time they built momentum, it collapsed again.

Mahershala Ali Is Actually the Biggest Hold-Up

Here’s the twist:

Mahershala Ali himself has been rejecting draft after draft.

He wants:

• An Oscar-level script
• A prestige character arc
• A story better than Wesley Snipes’ Blade 1 and 2

And that’s the problem.

It’s extremely hard to top the first two Blade films. They’re cult-classic, stylish, violent, and iconic. Even Marvel knows they can’t deliver a watered-down version.

So instead of delivering a bad Blade movie, they’re pivoting:

Blade Will Debut Properly in Midnight Suns Instead

Marvel is now fast-tracking Midnight Suns, which will include:

• Mahershala Ali’s Blade
• Moon Knight
• Ghost Rider
• Werewolf by Night
• Possibly Agatha Harkness
• Possibly Lilith as the villain
• Maybe even Wesley Snipes in a cameo

Mia Goth is still signed to play Lilith, so that part remains intact.

Jordan Peele Directing Midnight Suns? Yes, Please.

This is the most exciting rumor.

• Jordan Peele’s style is perfect for:
• Psychological horror
• Supernatural tension
• Mythology
• Complex villains
• Bold visuals

A Peele-directed Midnight Suns could be the scariest, most unique film Marvel has made since Infinity War.

What’s Next for Avengers Doomsday?

Expect a huge marketing wave soon:

• A polished HD version of the recent teaser
• Super Bowl trailer with major reveals
• Possibly our first look at Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom
• More cameo confirmations
• More character lineup details

Marvel is preparing the biggest crossover event in comic-book movie history, and practically every character ever is rumored to appear — at least in the background.

Final Thoughts: Blade Isn’t Dead… The Solo Movie Is

Yes — the Mahershala Ali Blade movie is essentially gone.

But Blade himself?

He’s everywhere:

• Returning in Avengers Doomsday
• Returning in Secret Wars
• Leading Midnight Suns
• Possibly cameoing alongside Wesley Snipes

Blade’s future in the MCU is actually stronger than before — just not as a solo project.

And honestly?

This might be the best possible outcome.