Marvel's "Blade" Finds New Director in Yann Demange

After parting ways with director Bassam Tariq, Marvel Studios has found a new director in Yann Demange to helm the Blade reboot, starring Mahershala Ali as the titular Daywalker.

In addition, Michael Starrbury has been hired to pen a new script for the project, which Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige producing.

Details are being kept under wraps but sources disclosed the reboot will be dark and gritty in tone, falling on the edgier side of Marvel fare and maybe even find common shading with the fondly-remembered Blade movies made in the early 2000s by New Line.

After Tariq moved on from the project, Marvel decided not to rush on finding his replacement as they wanted to make sure they got the right director and writer and decided to pause pre-production. 

They also rearranged their release schedule, with the movie now bowing on September 6, 2024, and production now set to start next year in Atlanta.

The project was announced at 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con panel by the studio head Kevin Feige. 

Blade is a vampire hunter— half-mortal, half-immortal — who tries to rid the world of vampires as a way of avenging his mother, who was killed by a vampire as she gave birth to him.

The first movie about the character was made in 1998 starring Wesley Snipes as the titular hunter, Eric Brooks, and is thought to be one of the best Marvel movies before the MCU.

The R-rated action flick spawned two sequels and a TV series in 2006. Snipes even showed interest in returning to Blade 4, but the idea never took off.

Eric Carroll will serve as the producer alongside Feige. Bassam Tariq is set to direct from a script by Stacy Osei-Kuffour.