Marvel reportedly turned down offer from original Blade writer because it was "in a good place" before the MCU reboot was shelved indefinitely: "They said, 'We love you, but we think we've cracked it now'"

Original Blade franchise writer David S. Goyer says Marvel didn't reach out during the troubled production of their (possibly cancelled) Blade reboot.

"I wasn't even really thinking about it, but then I had my agent call Marvel and say, 'Do you guys need any help?' And they said, ‘We love you, but we think we’ve cracked it now, and we're in a good place," Goyer told Variety. The screenwriter wrote Blade and Blade 2 in addition to writing and directing Blade: Trinity. "And then the latest thing happened. And so, no, they haven't contacted me."

Here's the timeline: Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, with Mahershala Ali set to star. In 2022, the movie entered production, with filming slated to begin in October and Bassam Tariq set to direct. That July, Kevin Feige announced at San Diego Comic-Con that Blade would be released in November 2023 as part of Marvel's Phase 5. As of June 2024, the film had lost two directors, was on its seventh or eighth writer, and was eyeing a 2026 release date.

In October 2024, the Blade was yanked from Marvel's release calendar. Given how much trouble the production has had... it's a little wild to think that they would say no to Goyer's offer, let alone not reach out in the first place.

Goyer's interview with Variety took place in May, with Goyer saying that he contacted Marvel "about eight months ago" which was "not the latest hiccup hit, but like the prior hiccup." If our math is correct, this is right around the time the movie was taken off the release schedule.

As of April 2025, production seems to be at a halt, with Flying Lotus, who was hired to write new music for the film, saying that Blade seems "far from being a possibility right now."

It's also possible that Wesley Snipes' Guinness World Record-breaking Blade cameo in Deadpool and Wolverine threw a wrench in production due to the overwhelmingly positive reception to his return and created some conversation about making him the official MCU Blade. Either way, I'm going to try and remain hopeful.

For more, check out our list of all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows you need to know about.