Marvel movie cut and replaced amid cancellation rumors

Marvel Studios has successfully recovered from its consistent underperformances in 2023. Yes, after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels both struggled at the box office (and Secret Invasion struggled with Disney Plus audiences on TV), the franchise bounced back this year with box office sensation Deadpool and Wolverine and acclaimed Disney Plus fan-favorite Agatha All Along.

But those unexpected underperformers still happened, so Marvel had to make some adjustments to prevent that from happening again. That reportedly involved moving away from potentially risk-taking ideas and moving towards surefire success stories. Though Deadpool and Wolverine was already well into post-production at that stage, its release was the perfect example of that as fans had been waiting for Deadpool, Wolverine, and the world of the X-Men to arrive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the box-office takings of that movie highlight that.

Through all of the highs and lows of the past few years, however, one movie has lingered but never quite gotten going. it's a movie that would definitely be successful if released, but one that Marvel reportedly can't get quite right. And that's before production starts.

Now, unfortunately, it has been pulled from the release schedule.

Blade pulled from 2025 release schedule; replaced by Predator movie

The Horrors! (In more ways than one!) In a disappointing update for MCU fans, Deadline has revealed that Blade has been removed from the 2025 release schedule. The film was set for release on November 7, 2025, but Disney has now replaced it with the eagerly-awaited Predator: Badlands.

The film was supposed to be Marvel's first full-scale foray into the modern horror genre, so it makes sense that it has been replaced by another classic horror franchise to keep fans of the genre happy. But that doesn't provide any kinds of answers as to what it means for the future of Blade, if it does indeed still have a future that is.

If we're being honest, the film's exit from a 2025 release isn't all that surprising. Not only has Marvel Studios moved to a new less-is-more approach which will see no more than three movies coming out in one year (2025 will already see the studio release Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps) but the fate of the film has been up in the air for sometime now. Too long, perhaps.

The film was initially announced by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige back at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. It already had a lead actor, too, as Feige revealed that Mahershala Ali would be taking on the role of the iconic vampire hunter, succeeding Wesley Snipes as the Daywalker. Of course, the pandemic has to be taken into account here as it slowed down everything when it came to Hollywood productions, but even in the years since then, very little progress on the movie has been made.

Blade potentially in danger of cancellation?

In those years, the film has had two directors depart, another new cast addition in Mia Goth as Lilith, and multiple variations of a script. But it still hasn't moved any closer towards production. Kevin Feige is reportedly committed to ensuring that Blade - the MCU's first supernatural horror, and first real dive into the world of vampires - is a risk worth taking, so that - along with the uncharacteristic underperformances last year - are likely having an impact on the slow progress here.

However, according to a number of insiders, the film is also at risk of cancellation. Last month, insider Daniel Richtman revealed that the studio was set to make a decision about it and fellow stalled MCU project Armor Wars in the coming months. Could its removal from the calendar be that decision?

Whether that's the case or not, that removal from the calendar has thrown its future into question. If Blade isn't coming out next year, when might it be? If Marvel Studios already has movies planned for 2026, will Blade be held until 2027 or 2028? Or has it been completely removed from the schedule for good as the studio figures out if it can still make a Blade movie work?

Interestingly, fans have been speculating that something like this might happen in recent months. Deadpool and Wolverine saw the return of original Blade star Wesley Snipes as one of the resistance fighters in The Void and during that return he said: "There's only one Blade. There's only ever gonna be one Blade."

Was that the joke it was meant to be, or a foreshadowing of Marvel's troubles with the MCU Blade?