Marvel’s upcoming Blade film has just lost its director

Blade just lost its director as Bassam Tariq steps away. Could this impact production of the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film?

Blade, which was due to begin filming soon for a slated November 2023 release, has just lost its director. Bassam Tariq was due to direct the film but, will now serve as an executive producer instead. “Due to continued shifts in our production schedule, Bassam is no longer moving forward as director of Blade but will remain an executive producer on the film,” Marvel told The Hollywood Reporter. 

As it was due to drop next November it is unclear how this sudden loss will impact the production at the moment. This is the second time that production has shifted while the film has undergone multiple rewrites on its script since its 2019 announcement. As of now, Mahershala Ali is still set to don the black coat and wield the sword as the title character.

The film is seen as the next big step for the character, as fans have been waiting for his introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a long time. Not only would it bring a much darker entry to the franchise, it would bring Blade back into the spotlight after his previous film franchise was pivotal for superhero movies in the ’90s and early 2000s.

Blade was first seen in Marvel Comics in 1973 when he made his appearance in Gene Colan and Marv Wolfman’s The Tomb of Dracula issue 10. The character is credited as saving the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the ’90s when Wesley Snipes took on the role in 1998’s Blade. It spawned two sequels, one of which stars Ryan Reynolds himself and earned over $400 million. Blade was then seen as the first big risk in the comic book world and has been making lists of most influential films since.

If you are interested in learning more about the character here are some titles to check out.

• Wolverine vs Blade (2019)
• Blade #1-5 (2006)
• Spirit of Vengeance: Rise of the Midnight Sons
• His Name is… Blade!
• Undead by Daylight
• Dark Visions

Then of course he was in the hit 90’s Spider-Man: The Animated Series where he shows up a few times to both battle and aid Peter Parker.

Even with the delays to the current film and uncertainty, we cannot wait to watch this on the big screen. Are you excited for the film? Do you think it will change the MCU? Let us know your thoughts below!