Fans have been waiting a long time now for Mahershala Ali to take up his sword and hunt down some vampires. Since the announcement of his casting, however, the only official MCU content that the actor has done was a voice cameo at the end of Eternals. Rumors indicate he could show up in this year's Disney+ Halloween special, but it's his solo project that fans are patiently waiting for.
Plot details are slim, but breadcrumbs have been left behind by Marvel over the years. For one, a casting call for the movie could indicate that Blade will be getting some help to take on Dracula in the form of Taj Mital and Rachel van Helsing. Additionally, Kit Harrington's Dane Whitman could also be in the running for a supporting role.
While it was previously known to begin filming in July 2022 in Atlanta, GA, it now seems that Ali's long-awaited project is going to have to wait a little longer before it gets in front of cameras.
Blade Gets Delayed Filming Date
According to Lizzie Hill at The Cosmic Circus, Blade's production start date has been delayed until October and will start filming at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It seems that the project may also be looking to shoot in both New Orleans, Louisiana, and Morocco.
Originally, the Mahershala Ali project was previously reported to begin rolling cameras around early July. The reason for the change was not given.
Why Blade Keeps Getting Delayed
So why the delay? Well, one of the main reasons could easily be script changes. For better or worse, the movie simply might not be at a place that Marvel Studios wants it. Another motivating factor could be scheduling issues or changes behind the scene.
As Hill mentioned in her report, it's difficult to know all of the factors that tend to play into decisions like this. It's been nearly three whole years since the project was first announced, so fans are anxious for those cameras to start rolling.
The most recent update on the film came from The Direct, whose sources revealed that The Wonder Years' Milan Ray has joined the project in an undisclosed role. While that remains a rumor for now, assuming she has in fact joined the movie, one of the possible characters she could be portraying is Fallen Grey—also known as the daughter of the titular character.
Hopefully, the film is still able to make its release in 2023, when it has been expected to land for some time now. Currently, Disney is holding a November 13 slot, which could be a good guess as to when Marvel hopes to release Blade to the world.
