Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has publicly addressed the persistent development struggles surrounding the studio’s long-anticipated Blade reboot. Speaking on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Feige admitted to deep frustration regarding the project, which was originally announced in 2019 with Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali set to star.
“I am feeling like a gigantic loser and failure that we didn’t get off the ground with Mahershala,” Feige stated. The project has faced years of turbulence, including multiple director departures and significant script revisions. Bassam Tariq, the project’s initial director, exited in 2022, followed by Yann Demange, who departed in June 2024. Reports indicate the film has cycled through at least five different screenwriters during its development period.
In 2024, Marvel officially removed Blade from its release calendar. Feige had previously noted that the studio’s internal shift toward prioritizing “insanely great” scripts over rapid production cycles contributed to the delays. While the project remains in limbo, Ali has maintained his public interest in the role, telling Variety as recently as last summer that he remains ready to portray the vampire hunter.