Marvel's Blade movie is back on track after the production found a new director in Yann Demange.
In September, previous director Bassam Tariq left the project with just one month to go until filming.
The character of Blade will enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Mahershala Ali set to play the vampire Hunter for a 2023 release. We have already seen a cameo of sorts from Blade, as Ali's voice could be heard in a post-credits scene at the conclusion of The Eternals.
Tariq has been at the helm since 2021, but has left due to scheduling issues.
“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 said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
“We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.”
Production on played has shifted not once, but twice so far, raising concerns among fans. There has also reportedly been a number of script rewrites.
Bassam himself also released a statement after the news broke which read:
“It’s been an honour working with the wonderful folks at Marvel. We were able to put together a killer cast and crew. Eager to see where the next director takes the film.”
Stacy Osei-Kuffour of Watchmen wrote the initial script, but the current writer is Michael Starrbury, who received an Emmy nomination for When They See Us.
Demange is known for directing the pilot for Lovecraft Country for HBO.
Mahershala Ali as Blade
Blade was previously portrayed by Wesley Snipes in the original trilogy. The first movie, released in 1998, has been credited with helping Marvel kick off their path towards domination of the superhero genre.
Marvel executive producer Kevin Fiege previously revealed that Ali personally called him and asked to play Blade after winning an Oscar for Green Book.
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