It would appear that today is a day for both good news and bad news for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans. On the former front, Deadpool 3 was the subject of an exciting announcement this afternoon when a release date and the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine were confirmed by Ryan Reynolds. Sadly, that awesome update has been followed a few hours later with reports that the upcoming Blade movie has hit a major setback: Bassam Tariq is no longer attached to direct.
News of this creative parting of the ways comes from The Hollywood Reporter. The trade has a quote from the studio that says that "continued shifts in our production schedule" are to blame for this unfortunate development. Blade, which has a November 2023 release date, was scheduled to start filming in Atlanta, Georgia a few weeks from now, and it is unclear how this situation will alter plans.
Fans will remember that the Marvel Cinematic Universe Blade film was first announced all the way back at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 with Mahershala Ali confirmed to play the titular character. The project didn't have a director or writer attached at the time, and it wasn't until almost exactly two years later that Bassam Tariq was hired to take the helm.
After years in development, Blade's release date was finally announced this past summer at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. It is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 5 slate, and it is currently scheduled to hit theaters on November 3, 2023. In addition to having Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali playing the eponymous daywalker, the project's growing cast also includes Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre.
Marvel Studios most certainly doesn't want to shift the release schedule that was just made official a few months ago, so fans can expect that Kevin Feige and the other producers and executives at the company will be working fast to try and find Bassam Tariq's substitute as the director of Blade. We will be very likely hearing about shortlists of names in the running for the gig very soon, and one can imagine the replacement being hired within the next month in order to keep the production on track.
Bassam Tariq, who previously directed the 2020 drama Mogul Mowgli, will have an executive producer credit on Blade, which is currently in development with a script written by Beau DeMayo. There is currently no information available about the plot of the film, though it is expected to be another venture for the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the horror genre following director Michael Giacchino's buzzed-about upcoming Disney+ special Werewolf By Night.
Check out our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides to stay up to date on everything that is coming from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Phase 4, Phase 5, and Phase 6.
