The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) Blade movie can’t seem to escape its production woes, as Director Yann Demange has reportedly exited the project.
News on the latest behind-the-scenes Marvel changes comes from The Wrap, which says it has learned Demange departed the Daywalker Marvel movie “a while ago.” The report adds that the split was “entirely amicable.” No replacement director has been chosen yet.
As Blade loses its second director, Thor: Ragnarok writer Eric Pearson is pushing forward with the MCU film’s script. Previous drafts were handled by Michael Starrbury, Nic Pizzolatto, and Michael Green. A The Wrap insider says Marvel is more interested in getting Blade right than simply getting it out the door. Star Mahershala Ali is said to still be attached to the movie.
Blade was announced as the latest MCU flick back in 2019, but the road to its release has been a rough one. The project found its first director in Mogul Mowgli creative Bassam Tariq in September 2021, but he would then go on to leave just one year later. More troubles began to bubble up in the weeks that followed, starting with a report that claimed Ali was frustrated with the movie’s progress. Production was then halted in October.
Demange was brought one month later, but just as work on the film began to kick up again, Blade was paused due to the writer’s strikes in May of 2023. Even as persistent issues continued to dull Blade’s fangs, it wasn’t all bad news for the MCU project. Demange confirmed the movie was shooting for an R rating in November of that same year. Then, during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ali stated that he was feeling much better about the film’s status.
“We’re working on it. That’s the best I could tell you,” Ali said at the time. “I’m really encouraged with the direction of the project. I think we’ll be back at it relatively soon.”
Blade is currently set to sink its teeth into audiences on November 7, 2025. For more on the MCU’s upcoming slate, you can see everything it’s got lined up for 2024 and beyond here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
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