Marvel's Blade Resurrects With Director Yann Demange And Writer Michael Starrbury

When Bassam Tariq, the previous director of "Blade," departed the project in September, mere months before production was scheduled to begin, Marvel Studios decided to push the project back rather than rush to find a replacement. While originally slated to be a part of the MCU's Phase 4, that cycle instead ends with the upcoming "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" in November 2022. The titular vampire hunter, played by Mahershala Ali, is now scheduled to make his big-screen debut on September 6, 2024. Production is set to begin next year in Atlanta, Georgia.

Along with the new production schedule comes a new script, courtesy of Starrbury. According to Deadline, those in the know say Marvel is aiming for a much darker tone for "Blade" than is traditionally associated with MCU films. The studio has been experimenting in new directions lately, with even major tentpole films like "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" taking on a bit more darkness. In October, Marvel Studios released the direct-to-streaming special presentation "Werewolf by Night," which fashioned itself as a classic, black-and-white shlock horror joint. And then, of course, there's the upcoming "Deadpool 3," which is expected to have an R-rating in keeping with its Fox-produced predecessors.

In the meantime, Marvel has plenty of other projects on the way to keep fans well-fed. Phase 5 kicks off in February 2023 with "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."