Marvel’s Blade Reboot Struggles

Marvel’s president, Kevin Feige, recently expressed some frustrations on a podcast, admitting he felt like a “huge loser and failure” for not bringing the reboot of Blade back on track. Development for this version has been ongoing since 2021.

The project was officially greenlit, and two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali was cast as Blade, a role originally brought to life by Wesley Snipes in three well-received films between 1998 and 2004. There have been multiple screenwriters—up to six—and reports indicate that two, maybe even three, directors have come and gone. Although the film had been scheduled for release in 2023, 2024, and 2025, it has now faced significant setbacks.

So, what’s the big deal about making a film where a cool black guy kills vampires?

Honestly, it shouldn’t be that complicated.

Sure, filmmaking is never truly easy, but considering the genre and the beloved characters, it’s not like they had to create an entirely new universe. With a strong plot and execution, it should have flowed smoothly.

But what went wrong?

I decided to delve into it and, well, here’s what I found…

According to Variety’s Tatiana Siegel, the reboot of Blade was initially heading in a different direction than fans expected. Allegedly, the story took a turn towards a more female-driven narrative with life lessons, which resulted in Blade being pushed to the fourth lead role.

Blade, relegated to the fourth main character in his own movie?

Disney, home to Marvel, is managed by people who have a deep passion for the comic book world. Kevin Feige has become synonymous with this nerd culture. Yet, there’s a noticeable push to sideline strong male characters like Blade in favor of narratives centered on women and moral lessons.

This shift transformed what could have been an easy blockbuster into a complicated scene that seems disconnected from fan expectations of just enjoying cool black characters dispatching vampires.

The film reportedly treats Blade as if he needs to be sidelined, with an emphasis on “teaching lessons” and shifting focus to other characters. It’s been suggested that the female leads chosen don’t embody the classic appeal typically expected in this genre.

Marvel, aware of its shaky box office history, risks another potential failure with this new direction. Instead of delivering a straightforward, entertaining film, they’ve managed to complicate things significantly.