Two major Marvel movies at risk of imminent cancellation

Marvel Studios is reaping the rewards of its cinematic comeback, as Deadpool and Wolverine continues to reel in audiences six weeks into its record-breaking box office run. It's a vastly different story to the franchise's tales of 2023, when two of its three movies underperformed at the box office and one of its Disney Plus shows received abysmal reviews.

Nobody ever expected anything less than a comeback from the Marvel Cinematic Universe considering it is the most successful movie franchise of all time, but it was an emphatic one at that, earning Marvel Studios a performance the likes of which has rarely been seen since its Infinity Saga days.

But still, precautions have reportedly been taken to avoid a similar year like 2023, including a "less-is-more" strategy which, in recent months, has resulted in a lot of uncertainty about a number of the franchise's in-development titles. Now, a new report has added to the uncertainty in regards to two specific movies currently on the horizon.

Marvel to make a decision about the fates of Blade and Armor Wars

According to prolific Marvel insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios will be making their final decision on what to do with Blade and Armor Wars in the coming months. This has left fans feeling a little alarmed for both movies because, yes, both have been rumored to be in danger of cancellation over the past few months, and this simply adds to the uncertainty.

There has been concern about both projects simply because they've been in development for over four years, with little-to-no progress being made on them. Blade was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, during which star Mahershala Ali appeared on-stage, and it has yet to even commence filming. Similarly, Armor Wars was announced at Disney Investor Day in 2020 and there have been very little updates about it since.

If neither one goes ahead, it would likely be for different reasons. Armor Wars has been rumored to be on the precipice of suffering a similar fate to the cancelled Eternals, Captain Marvel, and Ant-Man sequels (potentially along with She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, which is rumored to have been cancelled by the studio).

The Don Cheadle-led movie is set to bring back James "Rhodey" Rhodes to defend the legacy of his best friend Tony Stark when his Iron Man technology potentially falls into the wrong hands. It was initially announced as a Disney Plus series before Marvel revealed that it would be a movie instead. That announcement raised a few eyebrows as audiences expected a Rhodey project to work better as a series, but after the way the character was handled in Secret Invasion, it sounds like desire to see it has decreased a bit. And now, with the studio looking to take less risks, that might explain why there haven't been any updates on it in some time.

On the other hand, Blade has been one of the MCU's most anticipated upcoming titles. Fans were instantly positive about the casting of Ali in the role, as well as the fact that the Daywalker's arrival meant that the franchise was ready to explore the world of vampires and monsters. And with shows like Moon Knight and Special Presentations like Werewolf by Night officially introducing the latter (not-to-mention a voice cameo from Ali's Blade in Eternals), the groundwork has been laid for his arrival.

The problem is that the movie has been stuck in development hell since 2019, going through multiple iterations (and directors) as Marvel attempts to figure out what it wants the project to look like. The thing is, it currently has a release date of November next year and it was the only 2025 film that Marvel never teased or spoke about during both its San Diego Comic-Con and D23 presentations this year.

With all of the uncertainty surrounding the movie, and the positive response to Wesley Snipes' return as the original Blade in Deadpool and Wolverine, there has been speculation among fans about the possibility of Marvel moving away from a new Blade movie and just reintroducing Snipes' version of the character as an overarching presence of the Multiverse Saga.

Of course, any worries fans feel for the fates of either project could all be for nothing, as Marvel could ultimately decide to go ahead with both projects. Needless to say that would be the better option, as both Blade and Armor Wars have so much potential. Rhodey deserves the spotlight of his own, and he should get it (but please let's go back to making it a Disney Plus series, Marvel?) and it's time for Blade to make his presence felt on the MCU.