It looks like things are looking slim for the Daywalker at Marvel. The highly anticipated reboot of Blade, which was set to star Mahershala Ali as the half-vampire, has now been officially removed from the release calendar. Originally dated for a November 7, 2025 release, the date has now been replaced by another Disney film titled Predators: Badlands, the sixth in the otherworldly franchise.
Marvel has instead added three additional release dates for new untitled projects scheduled for February 18, 2028, May 5, 2028 and November 10, 2028. The removal of Blade from the schedule was widely anticipated after Disney CEO Bob Iger last said in an earnings call in May that Marvel will follow a new model that will only allow Marvel to release “a maximum of three” films a year. Out of the four superhero films slated to release in 2025, including Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Blade is the only project that has not begun production.
Blade has seen many leadership changes over time, with its first director Bassam Tariq departing in 2022 and Yann Demange exiting earlier this summer. Blade‘s pre-production was suspended by Marvel, causing a push for the release date. Due to the WGA strikes, COVID and other development setbacks, Blade has been unable to find its rhythm. In the past, Marvel has expressed its desire to scrap Blade due to the setbacks and roadblocks. Kevin Feige has said in previous interviews that they have spent many years “trying to crack that movie, the most important thing for us is not rushing it, and making sure we are making the right Blade movie.” The project was first announced in 2019 at San Diego Comic Con.