Director Yann Demange has exited the long-awaited reboot of Blade backed by Marvel Studios. This is the second director after Bassam Tariq left the film in 2022. Demange’s departure was amicable and occurred weeks ago, citing the extended development phase of the project as a contributing factor.

The Blade script has seen several iterations, with Eric Pearson, known for his work on Marvel’s The Fantastic Four, being the latest addition to the team after multiple other writers took turns, including Michael Green, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Michael Starrbury, Beau DeMayo, and Nic Pizzolatto. Mahershala Ali will be playing the half-human vampire hunter and according the studio, they are not looking to rush the project, but are strongly in process of making it right.

The film, which was announced in 2019, was initially scheduled to be in production for 2022, before the exit of director Bassam Tariq, but faced delays due to the writers' strike.

Marvel veteran Eric Pearson is writing the new Blade, which is slated for release on November 7, 2025.

Titles coming up next for release by the studio, which are either almost done or well underway, include Deadpool & Wolverine (out in theaters July 26), Captain America: Brave New World (February 14, 2025), Thunderbolts (May 5, 2025) and Fantastic Four (July 25, 2025).