Marvel shutting down one of its biggest MCU Phase 5 movies

Back in July, during San Diego Comic Con, Marvel fans were treated to a deluge of announcements when the upcoming TV show and film timeline was laid out, giving us insight into tons of Marvel projects releasing over the next few years. Some of these things, like the Disney+ series Ironheart, we already knew about, but some, like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, were total surprises.

However, it sounds like the order of releases might be facing some changes. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, production of Blade, which was previously on track to release on 3 November 2023, is being shut down. This news follows last month’s announcement that the movie’s director, Bassam Tariq, had stepped down “due to continued shifts in [Marvel’s] production schedule”.

Also on the Marvel horizon is the Disney+ show Secret Invasion - take a look at the trailer below.

Don’t worry though, the movie isn’t being cancelled altogether. Reportedly, production is being paused while a new filmmaker is found, and so that Marvel can further develop the film. It’s claimed that the new release date will be 6 September 2024 - so a pretty chunky 10-month delay. Apparently, the studio is aiming to commence production once more in early 2023. 

A source told The Hollywood Reporter that Marvel “want to really get it right”, hence why a more in-depth search for a new director is underway. Hopefully, it’ll be worth the wait - it just so happens that the new release date would actually make the film come out almost 20 full years since the release of Blade: Trinity, the last of the original three Blade movies. 

Earlier this year, Wesley Snipes (AKA the original Blade) revealed that he’d love to join the Star Wars universe, as he’s been a fan of the franchise since the 70s, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’d love to see that happen.