After being one of the most-anticipated Marvel Studios projects in some time, Blade's hype machine has hit a bit of a snag. The MCU's take on Marvel's famed vampire hunter recently lost its director, and thus, was delayed as Marvel Studios attempts to rejig the project.
Blade was originally set to release in November 2023, but due to its production issues and search for a new director, it's been pushed to September 2024.
Since Bassam Tariq left the film as director, not much has been said about the open position. After finding success with Marvel Studios' Werewolf By Night, fans thought Michael Giacchino would be a good pick, but the composer-turned-director said he would say "no" if asked.
So, the Blade directing chair remains notably empty, with star Mahershala Ali waiting for the film to pick back up again. Well, a new rumor may suggest that Ali and crew may not be waiting much longer.
A Potential New Blade Director
The Cosmic Circus' Lizzie Hill reported that Blade may have found its new director in Elegance Bratton.
Hill notes that she cannot 100% confirm this information, but she has heard enough to report on the subject. She says this could mean an announcement confirming the information is imminent, or it could simply mean Bratton is on a shortlist with a few other directors, but in some way, the filmmaker is tied up in Blade talks at this point.
Bratton is a relatively unknown director, but his directorial debut, 2022's The Inspection, earned rave reviews when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and was picked up by A24 on a distribution deal.
If hired, this would not be the first time Marvel Studios pulled a director out of relative obscurity.
UPDATE:
It has later been revealed that Lovecraft Country's Yann Demange has been tapped to direct Blade.
A Blank Slate for Blade
It may surprise some that Marvel Studios is in talks with someone like Elegance Bretton to take on a project like Blade. After the project seemingly fell into a state of disarray, one would think the studio would bring in a proven name to clean everything up and get the movie out.
That was the way Disney has done it in the past. After Scott Derrickson left Multiverse of Madness, the studio brought in horror mainstay Sam Raimi to pick up the pieces. Solo: A Star Wars Story took a similar direction with its own situation. After Phil Lord and Christopher Miller walked away from the film, it was proven director Ron Howard that was brought in.
But Bretton may actually be the best thing for a project like this. Blade's lead star Mahershala Ali was supposedly "very frustrated" with the direction of the MCU film, so a blank slate like Bretton could actually prove beneficial in an instance such as this.
For now, though, all fans can do is wait as Blade is set to hit theaters on September 6, 2024.
