Blade
Eric Brooks
Movie · Phase 6
Blade
2026
CONFIRMED: Marvel announced a Blade film at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019 with Mahershala Ali attached, and Ali's voice appears in the second post-credits scene of Eternals in 2021. Beyond that…
The Multiverse SagaAnnounced
The story
CONFIRMED: Marvel announced a Blade film at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019 with Mahershala Ali attached, and Ali's voice appears in the second post-credits scene of Eternals in 2021. Beyond that, almost nothing has been confirmed. The project has cycled through directors and writers, has been removed from Marvel's release calendar more than once, and as of July 2026 carries no release date, no director and no shooting schedule.
REPORTED, NOT CONFIRMED: Trade and outlet reporting through 2025 and 2026 has described the film as shelved indefinitely rather than formally cancelled, with Ali still nominally attached and Mia Goth previously reported in an undisclosed role. Reports of a period setting, of a Midnight Sons connection and of complete script rewrites have never been confirmed by Marvel. Kevin Feige has publicly declined to declare the project dead. Until Marvel dates it, treat every plot and casting detail as unverified.
Key facts
- Release date
- 2026
- Status
- Announced
- Phase
- Phase 6
- Saga
- The Multiverse Saga
- Timeline placement
- Unknown — Blade's only canonical appearance is the voice in Eternals' second post-credits scene
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Mahershala Ali | Eric Brooks / Blade |
Characters
Easter eggs
- Mahershala Ali's voice in the Eternals post-credits scene, telling Dane Whitman 'are you sure you're ready for that, Mr. Whitman?', is Blade's only MCU appearance to date.
- The Ebony Blade Dane Whitman reaches for in that same scene is the Black Knight's cursed weapon, tying the two dormant projects together.
- Wesley Snipes' Blade appears in Deadpool & Wolverine, in the New Line trilogy costume, which functionally made a Snipes cameo the MCU's first live-action Blade.
- Marvel's 1998 Blade is the film usually credited with proving comic-book adaptations could work commercially, which is part of why the reboot's collapse has drawn so much attention.
- Blade was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 as part of Phase 5, and has since been removed from three separate release dates.
Trivia
- Mahershala Ali approached Marvel about the role rather than the reverse, and was announced on stage in 2019.
- The project has cycled through multiple directors, including Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange, both of whom departed.
- Marvel removed Blade from its 2025 calendar and has not rescheduled it, and reporting since has consistently described it as shelved.
- Multiple writers have worked on the script across seven years, with reported drafts ranging from a 1920s period piece to a contemporary Midnight Sons setup.
- Wesley Snipes played Blade in three New Line films between 1998 and 2004 and returned for a Deadpool & Wolverine cameo in 2024.
- Kevin Feige has declined to confirm the film is cancelled, keeping it in a public limbo unusual for Marvel.
Reviews
The MarvelGossips verdict
Unmade after seven years in development, and Marvel's most conspicuous unfinished business. Mahershala Ali is inspired casting for a character the franchise badly needs, and the studio has burned through directors, writers and release dates without a frame of confirmed footage. Until Marvel dates it, this is a placeholder rather than a film.
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Frequently asked
Is the Marvel Blade movie cancelled?
Marvel has never formally cancelled it, but as of July 2026 it has no release date, no attached director and no production schedule, and reporting consistently describes it as shelved indefinitely. Kevin Feige has declined to call it dead.
Is Mahershala Ali still playing Blade?
He remains nominally attached and has never publicly withdrawn, having been announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. He has voiced the character once, in Eternals' second post-credits scene.
Has Blade appeared in the MCU at all?
Only as a voice in Eternals' post-credits scene. Wesley Snipes' New Line-era Blade appears in Deadpool & Wolverine, but that is a variant from another universe rather than Ali's character.
Why has Blade taken so long?
The project has lost at least two directors, gone through repeated script rewrites and been pulled from multiple release dates. Marvel has never given a public explanation, and reported reasons range from tonal disagreements to the post-strike slate contraction.