Seven Years After Announcement, Marvel Movie Is Scrapped at Disney: Report

The Walt Disney Company quietly reshuffled its Marvel release plans in late 2024, and one of the studio’s most elusive projects once again found itself without a home. Marvel Studios’ Blade reboot, first announced more than half a decade ago, is now facing another uncertain chapter as its future inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to evolve.

Blade’s absence from Marvel’s theatrical roadmap became official when Disney removed the film from its 2025 calendar. The Mahershala Ali-led reboot was initially positioned as a marquee return for the vampire hunter, targeting a 2024 debut before sliding to November 7, 2025. Instead, the film now joins a growing list of MCU projects that have stalled amid shifting priorities and behind-the-scenes challenges.

Since its 2019 reveal, Blade has struggled to gain creative traction. The project cycled through multiple creative teams, with writers and directors coming and going as Marvel attempted to define the right tone for the character’s MCU debut. Over the years, names attached included Stacy Osei-Kaffeur, Bassam Tariq, Michael Starbury, Michael Green, Nic Pizzolatto, and Yann Demange. Mia Goth (Pearl) remains attached in a key supporting role opposite Ali.

“For the last few years, we’ve been trying to crack that movie,” Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Black Tree TV previously. “I think the most important thing for us is not rushing it and making sure that we’re making the right Blade movie because there were some great Blade movies years ago.”

Feige’s remarks pointed directly to New Line Cinema’s Blade trilogy starring Wesley Snipes, which arrived well before the MCU era and helped establish the commercial viability of darker superhero stories. Snipes recently returned to the character’s orbit with a surprise MCU appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), further fueling interest in Blade’s long-awaited revival.

As months passed without updates—and Blade remained missing from major Marvel presentations, including San Diego Comic-Con—industry speculation intensified. That uncertainty ended in October 2024.

“In what comes as no surprise, Marvel Studios’ Blade won’t be coming out on November 7, 2025; rather, Disney is opening 20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands,” Deadline reported at the time.

Predator: Badlands ultimately claimed Blade’s former release slot. The film follows 2022’s Prey, with Dan Trachtenberg returning to direct and Elle Fanning (Maleficent, The Complete Unknown) leading the new installment of the long-running franchise.

While Blade’s theatrical delay was disappointing, Marvel still has open release dates scattered across its long-term calendar. Three dates are locked in for 2028—February 18, May 5, and November 10—positioned to usher in Phase Seven after Avengers: Secret Wars arrives in December 2027. However, recent chatter suggests Blade may not occupy any of them.

New reports indicate that Blade’s standalone reboot may no longer be moving forward at all. Instead, Marvel is rumored to be pivoting toward a team-based introduction for the character. According to industry insiders, Blade could emerge as part of the long-discussed Midnight Sons project, a supernatural ensemble film that has yet to be formally announced.

“…during this week’s episode of The Hot Mic, Jeff Sneider said he’s heard that the Blade reboot is now “dead,” but the plan is for Ali to make his MCU debut as the character in the Midnight Sons movie,” Comic Book Movie reported.

In Marvel Comics lore, the Midnight Sons—also known as the Midnight Suns—serve as the franchise’s darker counterpoint to the Avengers. The group is built around supernatural heroes tasked with confronting mystical and occult threats. Blade has traditionally been a central figure within the team, often acting as both a combat specialist and a grounded voice amid more mystical allies.

Comic book lineups for the Midnight Sons typically include Blade alongside Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange, Werewolf by Night, and sometimes Elsa Bloodstone. Many of those characters have already been introduced into the MCU, making the team a practical avenue for expanding Marvel’s horror-adjacent corner.

A Midnight Sons debut could allow Marvel to fold Blade into the broader universe without the pressures of launching another solo franchise, particularly as the studio scales back its overall output.

Although Blade’s live-action future remains unresolved, the character has already resurfaced in animated form. Marvel Zombies, the Disney+ series spun out of What If…?, introduced a Multiversal variant called Blade Knight. The TV-MA-rated series is part of Phase Six and was reimagined from an early feature-length concept into a four-episode miniseries.

Marvel Zombies features a wide roster of returning MCU characters, including Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop), and Dominique Thorne (Ironheart), with Elizabeth Olsen, Randall Park, and Awkwafina also appearing.

Mahershala Ali did not voice Blade Knight. Instead, the role went to Invincible actor Todd Williams. Feige has clarified that Ali remains attached to Blade’s live-action incarnation, noting that Marvel previously explored both period-set and modern versions of the story before settling on a contemporary approach.

Marvel Zombies premiered on Disney+ on September 24, 2025, releasing all four episodes simultaneously.

Blade’s removal from the release calendar reflects a broader shift in Marvel Studios’ philosophy under Disney CEO Bob Iger. The studio is moving toward fewer annual releases, placing greater emphasis on refining projects before they reach audiences.

Feige has acknowledged that the growing overlap between films and Disney+ series may have contributed to viewer fatigue. Phase Five wrapped with Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and Thunderbolts* (2025), while Phase Six launched with The Fantastic Four: The First Steps in 2025. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently scheduled for release on July 31, 2026.

For now, Blade remains one of Marvel’s biggest unanswered questions. Whether Mahershala Ali’s Daywalker arrives via Midnight Sons or another unexpected route, his long-delayed MCU debut is still somewhere on the horizon.

Do you think Blade should debut in the rumored Midnight Sons? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.