Amid Aaron Pierre's Exit, What’s Going on with ‘Blade?’ Will We Ever Actually See Mahershala Ali in the MCU?

A lot has been made about the multiple issues currently facing the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Jonathan Majors’ legal trouble, to a questionable narrative for the Multiverse War, to concerns about missing characters, to low box office numbers, it’s definitely time to worry about the MCU. Amid all this craziness, the project we’re most worried about is “Blade.”

In 2019, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige thrilled fans by announcing that the Daywalker would be joining the franchise with his own film. The news got even better when Oscar winner Mahershala Ali was cast as the famed vampire hunter. Then the pandemic shut the world down, leading to countless delays and postponements throughout the industry. In addition to those problems, “Blade” has suffered numerous director and script changes, with Variety reporting the project has seen “at least five writers, two directors and one shutdown six weeks before production.” All this chaos has led to rumors that Ali is unhappy and wants to leave the film. As a result, Feige went back to the drawing board and hired Michael Green (“Logan”) to rewrite the script.

Now, Aaron Pierre (“Genius: MLK/X”) has confirmed that he’s “no longer…attached” to the film. According to Variety, on Saturday, on the red carpet of the 55th NAACP Image Awards, the “Mufasa: The Lion King” actor explained that he exited the movie as it went through one of its many changes.

“Early on, there were conversations,” Pierre said. “As the project evolved, I’m no longer part of that—attached.”

Honestly, this film has evolved so much, he could’ve left anytime during one of the many script rewrites. In typical Marvel fashion, the studio has only officially announced Ali’s casting, with Delroy Lindo and Mia Goth also thought to be in the film.

It’s a shame to see what could be a pivotal piece of the new MCU suffer through all this drama. Fans were so excited about Ali’s casting because his cool confidence and mysterious aura make him the perfect choice to portray a modern Blade. We got our first, and only glimpse of the character in an “Eternals” post-credits scene. He had a one-line voice cameo opposite Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman, setting off endless fan theories about a focus on the darker, supernatural side of the Marvel Universe.

However, “Eternals” was released at the end of 2021 and we’re no closer to getting “Blade.” At a certain point, we have to wonder if Marvel Studios is still committed to this project, or if all the chaos has led them to rethink the film? Recent internet rumors about Disney CEO Bob Iger wanting to focus on less risky projects doesn’t instill confidence that “Blade” is a high-priority.

“Blade” has been snakebitten since the day it was announced, so we will not believe this movie is happening until we’re in a theater watching it. And even then, we’ll have doubts until the final credits roll.

Starring Mahershala Ali, “Blade” is currently scheduled to be released November 7, 2025.

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