Mahershala Ali “sincerely encouraged” by ‘Blade’ development after creative overhaul

Mahershala Ali attends the 2021 AFI Fest Official Screening of Magnolia Pictures' "Swan Song" at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 12, 2021 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Mahershala Ali has shared a promising update on the development of his upcoming Marvel film, Blade.

Since first being announced at the San Diego Comic Con event in 2019, Marvel’s Blade reboot has faced numerous production hurdles including script rewrites, delays due to the now-concluded writers and actors strikes, and its original director leaving the project.

However, all of those hurdles are now seemingly being cleared up, with Ali – who will star as the titular hero – telling Entertainment Weekly that he’s “sincerely encouraged” by the direction the film is heading in.

“We’re working on it. That’s the best I could tell you,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly. “I’m really encouraged with the direction of the project. I think we’ll be back at it relatively soon.”

Mahershala Ali
Mahershala Ali is set to play Blade CREDIT: JC Olivera/FilmMagic

Ali went on to add: “I’m sincerely encouraged in terms of where things are at and who’s on board and who’s leading the way as far as the writing of the script and the directing and all that. So that’s the extent of what I can tell you.”

Ali’s comments come after the film was most recently delayed until November 7, 2025 due to the Hollywood actors strike, which ended in early November this year. The film has also gone through multiple script rewrites, with several writers leaving the project. Most recently, Logan and Alien: Covenant writer Michael Green has been brought on to write for the project.

Production on the Blade reboot was paused late last year following the departure of director Bassim Tariq, with Lovecraft Country director Yann Demange reportedly being brought in to helm the film.

The post Mahershala Ali “sincerely encouraged” by ‘Blade’ development after creative overhaul appeared first on NME.