Marvel fans have been anticipating Blade, a forthcoming film starring Mahershala Ali that is rumored to be a fresh take on the iconic figure who helped usher in the current era of superhero movies. But according to recent reports, the company has stopped making the movie because of the ongoing WGA writer’s strike. Marvel finds this development to be frustrating, especially in light of the project’s prior setbacks. The film’s initial release date was slated for 2023, however it was delayed until 2024 when the original director withdrew from the project just weeks before filming was to start. Yann Demange was only brought on board as director in November of last year, and the ideal screenwriter for the project had not yet been identified. Let’s introduce Nic Pizzolatto, best known for developing the successful HBO series True Detective. The writer’s strike, regrettably, has prevented him from continuing to work on the Blade franchise, disappointing fans who were eager to see what he could add to the series. Disney has urged employees to report to work, but Pizzolatto is supporting his fellow writers and refusing to do so. Marvel must now choose between trying to find a replacement for Pizzolatto (which may be challenging given the present strike) and waiting for the strike to end, which may further delay one of their most anticipated films. Fans will only have to wait and hope that the strike is quickly resolved so that Blade may resume its progress for the time being.
