Marvel Studios announced it was developing a Blade reboot way back in 2019 at the San Diego Comic-Con. Mahershala Ali hit the stage to close out the panel alongside Kevin Feige, confirming he would play the MCU's Daywalker.
The pandemic followed, as did a voice cameo in Eternals, but development on the reboot has since hit more than a few stumbling blocks. Blade has lost several writers and directors, and we recently learned that the plan now is to produce it for less than $100 million.
That's raised some eyebrows, but it's a figure which suggests we're getting a grounded, gritty take on the character rather than an effects-laden blockbuster which feels like more of the same from Marvel Studios.
Confirming this isn't a typical MCU movie is the fact we can now confirm Blade will be R-rated!
It appears Deadpool 3 and the TV-MA Echo have opened the door to Marvel Studios delivering stories which arent just your typical popcorn blockbuster. Talking to Deadline, Blade director Yann Demange said. "They gave me the R, which is so important."
"I come out of [his new short film, Dammi] wanting to be more open, more vulnerable and bring a more personal aspect to my work. But for Blade, we are going to have fun because Mahershala is such a deep actor."
"I'm excited to show a kind of ruthlessness, a roughness he has, that allows him to walk the earth in a particular way. I love him for that," the filmmaker adds. "He’s got a dignity and integrity, but there is a ferocity there that he usually keeps under the surface. I want to unleash that and put it on the screen."
The fact we're getting an R-rated Blade movie is bound to ease the minds of many fans, especially those worried the Daywalker would be watered down. Wesley Snipes' movies benefitted from having a darker tone (and heaps of bloody violence) and we'd guess the same will be the case for this version too.
In recent years, Marvel Studios has come under fire for being too formulaic, but a $100 million R-rated story about this vampire-hunting anti-hero - starring an Oscar-winning actor - feels like a good way to subvert the expectations of moviegoers and prove there's still plenty of life left in this franchise amid so-called superhero fatigue.
Blade is currently set to be released on February 14, 2025. Stay tuned for updates.