X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Reveals Details Of His THE RAID-Inspired Script For MCU BLADE Reboot

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Reveals Details Of His THE RAID-Inspired Script For MCU BLADE Reboot

Former X-Men '97 showrunner Beau DeMayo has shared some very interesting details of the MCU Blade reboot he was working on before being "pulled off the project."

By MarkCassidy - Sep 13, 2024 11:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Blade

Beau DeMayo will likely be best known for working (and being fired) as showrunner on Disney+ animated series  X-Men '97, but he also did a pass on the script for an earlier take on Marvel Studios' troubled Blade reboot.

DeMayo has now taken to social media to share some of his concepts for the Daywalker's MCU debut (or what would have been his debut before Wesley Snipes appeared in Deadpool and Wolverine), and, like a lot of fans, he wonders why it's been so difficult for the studio to come up with a compelling premise.

"Take a John Wick movie. Give mobsters fangs. Swap Keanu for Ali, hand him a sword, not a daughter who makes him fret over swinging the hero’s name. Wick cost 20 mill to make. Add 10 mill for vampire/Darkhold magic VFX, you have 30-40 mill Marvel movie."

" I don’t get why it’s been so hard," he went on. "Studio’s broken. I wrote 3 drafts and a dozen outlines in 3 impossible months, my fav was a “The Raid”-style treatment where Blade finds himself defending a rundown tenement of humans from Varney’s vamp hordes until daylight. Took place over one night Blade learns from tenant Jericho Drumm that Varney’s attacking b/c the female tenant who Blade sorta fancies has been magically impregnated with Lilith by tenants who’re secretly Darkhold Cultists. Think 30 Days of Night meets Rosemary’s Baby."

DeMayo's outline certainly sounds... interesting! You'll find more details in the thread below.

Blade has been plagued by production woes ever since it was first announced over four years ago, going through a number of directors and writers. The project finally seemed to be back on track after a recent update claimed that shooting was set to commence this Fall, but we recently learned that director Yann Demange will no longer helm the movie.

Despite these setbacks, the movie is still said to be moving forward, with Mahershala Ali attached to star.

Ali's last update during an interview with EW was a positive one.

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

“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,” he added. “So that’s the extent of what I can tell you.”

Demange (who stepped in to replace Bassam Tariq) previously confirmed that the movie will indeed be rated R.

"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," said the filmmaker. "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."

Blade is currently set to hit theaters on November 7, 2025.

BLADE Actor And Country Music Legend Kris Kristofferson Has Passed Away At The Age Of 88
Related:

BLADE Actor And Country Music Legend Kris Kristofferson Has Passed Away At The Age Of 88

BLADE Reboot Could Be Eyeing THE HARDER THEY FALL Director Jeymes Samuel To Helm
Recommended For You:

BLADE Reboot Could Be Eyeing THE HARDER THEY FALL Director Jeymes Samuel To Helm

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2
Spoken
Spoken - 9/13/2024, 11:33 PM
God, why the hell are they passing on these ideas!?
TrentCrimm
TrentCrimm - 9/14/2024, 6:29 AM
@Spoken -

Because Marvel isn't in the business of breaking new ground anymore.
It's all steered by money and algorithms, follow the trends and make movies based off that.

Something this big in the hands of a company like Disney wasn't going to go any other way.
Vigor
Vigor - 9/14/2024, 6:52 AM
@TrentCrimm - I'd say the opposite is true. This story outline seems like an easy money grab. But marvel lately seems more interested in breaking new ground and innovation.
TrentCrimm
TrentCrimm - 9/14/2024, 7:36 AM
@Vigor -
"This story outline seems like an easy money grab."

It is easy money, because it's a damn good story.

There's nothing groundbreaking about what Disney is doing with Marvel, they're following trends, finding what worked once and dialing it up to 10, they're crafting stories around current social trends, and turning out anything and everything they can to maximize profits across platforms. They haven't been breaking new ground or innovating anything for quite a few years now.

Dialing back the scale of a movie and focusing on an individual character would be a refreshing change for a lot of fans at this point.
Vigor
Vigor - 9/14/2024, 8:05 AM
@TrentCrimm - I agree it's a great story. But I don't agree marvel Is just following trends. Eternals, guardians3, upcoming f4, heck even no way home are not trend chasers. They each raise the standards and stand apart on their own.
NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 9/14/2024, 9:22 AM
@TrentCrimm - not sure if it’s easy money they are doing at this point, they seem to be going more for highest gross sales as opposed to profit. They aren’t going cheap on their movies when it come to how much they are spending to make it. I also disagree that they are following a trend and not sure if they are stories about social trends or just adding elements of trend into their story. The whole story isn’t about the trend. Sometimes I have a bad memory so feel free to point out any I’m missing. On the other hand I can’t stand the multiverse time travel no repercussions type of universe they have created and agree that something needs to change. A street level raid/dredd movie would be cool for blade if it was done right for sure, not sure about the getting the girl blade like pregnant part though. He’s a vampire hunter, he could just be there to kill vamps
EgoEgor
EgoEgor - 9/14/2024, 4:11 PM
@Vigor - i would say the problem with Marvel is they are high stakes and large scope chasers. Stories don't feel personal.
Vigor
Vigor - 9/14/2024, 4:51 PM
@EgoEgor - I'd agree
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 9/13/2024, 11:43 PM
That sounds perfect for Blade, he doesn't need some extravagant storyline to hook audiences with just how badass he is.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 9/13/2024, 11:51 PM
This dude is talented, they're gonna regret firing him in the next 5 years
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 9/14/2024, 1:05 AM
@bobevanz - bingo... Mar vel .. u damn fu ck Ed up... seriously...wtf. how hard is it to make a blade movie
NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 9/14/2024, 9:33 AM
@bobevanz - I’m not sure he’s the only one that could pick the the best movie gun fights (wick) add one of the best and very well known foreign action movie, and pop in blade. Not a fan of the pregnant girl aspect but I do agree it would be a good movie. It’s not the most original idea but it would be a good time for them to go more grounded and blades character fits the setting.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 9/13/2024, 11:53 PM
Lilith definitely needs to be the Loki of the Midnight Sons movie and Chthon needs to be the Thanos.
BraxtonHicks
BraxtonHicks - 9/13/2024, 11:57 PM
Like an idea with moon knight taking place all in his mind.
Order66
Order66 - 9/14/2024, 12:28 AM
Dude wtf that is a great idea. The [frick] is wrong with marvel studios.
cubrn
cubrn - 9/14/2024, 9:04 AM
@Order66 - Copying the John Wick model is a great idea?
Order66
Order66 - 9/14/2024, 2:39 PM
@cubrn - ummm yes because John wick franchise is fantastic.
cubrn
cubrn - 9/14/2024, 4:34 PM
@Order66 - But the complaint I hear often is that Marvel is devoid of originality and so now they're being criticized for not following the template of other successful franchises rather than doing something wholly original?
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/14/2024, 12:38 AM
Report abuses on what set , it’s never gone into production!!.

Also dude already broke his NDA so I guess him spilling all this info doesn’t matter to him now…

I will say that his version does sound like it could be real fun on paper , especially like the inclusion of Jericho Drumm/Brother Voodoo.

However , I’m a bit sick of people being like “why is it so hard to make this movie , it’s been done 3 times before” and that’s why it is because they have already told stories about the character thrice on screen (and a tv show)…

Maybe people would be fine with having something akin to just those films again but as we have seen with their take on Spider Man and even FF as of now , Feige & co like to be as different and fresh as possible and Blade just might be a more limiting character to do that with.

I would love to be a fly on the wall there in regards to this particular project but we don’t know the details & struggles so it’s best to just see what happens.

Also man , comments on DeMayo’s thread make me feel like we have another Snyder situation on our hands..sigh.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 9/14/2024, 2:27 AM
Gunn… HIRE THIS MAN!
S8R8M
S8R8M - 9/14/2024, 2:59 AM
Sounds great. It is too ballsy for marvel. They are a love and thunder company now.
IAmAHoot
IAmAHoot - 9/14/2024, 3:46 AM
@S8R8M - If you hold all 5 films since Love and Thunder in the exact same regard as that one, then I just question you.
S8R8M
S8R8M - 9/14/2024, 10:14 AM
@IAmAHoot - It does take a cultured person to see the difference 🤣
China1975
China1975 - 9/14/2024, 3:18 AM
Hell yeah … this is a concept I’d love to watch… we don’t need to tie every marvel character into a multi universe concept! If Sony would allow it could be Blade versus Morbious in some version.
30 to 50 million dollars. A great Marvel rated R Movie.
IAmAHoot
IAmAHoot - 9/14/2024, 3:48 AM
@China1975 - They don’t have to tie every character into it, but this is The Multiverse Saga… and no one said Blade would have multiversal elements. Not all movies in Phase 4 and 5 (thus far) have been focused on a multi-universe concept.
DarthAbraxas
DarthAbraxas - 9/14/2024, 5:12 AM
Raid style movie would be cool. Dredd did it n that was a good movie
Toecutter
Toecutter - 9/14/2024, 5:37 AM
Lol. Marvel is going to have this guy whacked.

User Comment Image

This sounds great, by the way.
Lysander45
Lysander45 - 9/14/2024, 6:13 AM
At this point when a director, writer or assistant producer tells the senior members of Marvel Studios that their film's VFX budget would be less than $100 million the old guard would look at them like a dog seeing a magic trick.

"What are you talking about? The villain is going to be fully CGI."
"Nonono, we've figured out how to pull off his appearance practically."
"But the practical VFX is a stand-in for the 3D CGI version we do in post."
"Nonono, that isn't necessary this time. I have pictures from the make-up and FX departments."
"I don't need to see those. Clearly, you don't understand how we do things here."]
"But this will cut millions from the budget."
"And deny the many VFX studios we work half-to-death the opportunity of their names appearing in the credits for 0.5 seconds. No, sir, not on my watch. Next, you'll tell me the sets will be mostly "on location."
"..."
MisterBones
MisterBones - 9/14/2024, 7:28 AM
Ok that plot sounds incredible. Can’t even lie.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 9/14/2024, 7:50 AM
Let the shirtless dude cook.

Blade doing a riff on DREDD doing a riff on The Raid and being Rated R and hyper violent might could actually get me to forget the OG Blade existed for 90 minutes.
OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 9/14/2024, 7:52 AM
'not a daughter who makes him fret over swinging the hero’s name.'

Sure sounds like those rumours about the political messaging chick-led Blade script were right.

Marvel, how do you fumble Blade this badly ?
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 9/14/2024, 8:07 AM
Bart Sears
Typhoon20
Typhoon20 - 9/14/2024, 8:32 AM
So the worst thing this guy did was be shirtless on his OF channel?

I bet most of the Disney top man including Feige did a lot worse shit we don’t know about. Smh.
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 9/14/2024, 9:00 AM
Damn, it's a real shame he had to go and show everyone his penis.
SaxoWolf
SaxoWolf - 9/14/2024, 9:04 AM
Sounds good to me.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 9/14/2024, 11:26 AM
Not a terrible idea, but The Raid has already been re-manufactured in a comic book movie with Dredd. And I think it's spelled Varnae, not Varney, he's the first vampire, not a purple dinosaur.
User Comment Image
Fares
Fares - 9/14/2024, 11:28 AM
User Comment Image
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 9/14/2024, 11:38 AM
"Raid-style" sounds good but it's been one of the most overused buzzwords around Hollywood since The Raid came out. Everybody says it, nobody quite does it. The rest of this idea doesn't sound at all Raid. And I can see why they rejected it. I like this guy, but this ain't it. Glad they're letting it brew.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 9/14/2024, 11:40 AM
"Everybody says it, nobody quite does it." except for Dredd. Dredd was fcuking dope AF.
1 2

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

View Recorder