Mahershala Ali Expresses Frustration Over Stalled 'Blade' Project

WHO:

Deadline - Mahershala Ali is the actor involved in the 'Blade' project.

Variety - Ali is a two-time Oscar winner.

WHAT:

The Hollywood Reporter - Mahershala Ali confirmed he will not star in the 'Blade' reboot, stating, "For whatever reason, that project is not for me."

The Hollywood Reporter - Ali mentioned, "Those questions are for them. They didn’t want to do it, so they should answer that question."

The Hollywood Reporter - Ali's comments were partly in response to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige expressing distress about the project's failure to launch, stating, "I am feeling like a gigantic loser and failure that we didn’t get off the ground with Mahershala."

The Hollywood Reporter - The cancellation of 'Blade' follows the recent scrapping of another Marvel project, 'Wonder Man,' which was previously renewed for a second season.

The Hollywood Reporter - The film 'Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother' is an upcoming Amazon MGM Studios action film, featuring a premise where a devoutly religious hitman (Ali) embarks on a journey across Houston to protect his children.

Collider - Mahershala Ali confirmed that the 'Blade' film is officially cancelled.

The Hollywood Reporter - Ali stated, "For whatever reason, that project is not for me," regarding his departure from the 'Blade' project.

The Hollywood Reporter - Ali expressed that he feels "creatively redeemed" after working on a different project, "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother," which he was able to pursue due to the cancellation of 'Blade'.

The Hollywood Reporter - The film "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother" will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

The Hollywood Reporter - Mahershala Ali confirmed, "I’ve been doing this professionally for pushing 30 years now, and one thing I’ve learned is that what is for you is for you and what is not is not."

The Hollywood Reporter - Ali stated, "If they wanted to do it, we would’ve done it. So I have to move on … Again, you had me under contract, they have billions of dollars, if they wanted to do the movie, we would’ve done the movie. So we’re not doing the movie … But I feel ready to move on from the Blade questions."

The Hollywood Reporter - Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige expressed distress about the inability to get the project going, stating, "I am feeling like a gigantic loser and failure that we didn’t get off the ground with Mahershala."

The Hollywood Reporter - Ali's Blade did have a voice cameo in a post-credits scene for 2021’s Eternals.

The Hollywood Reporter - In 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel brought back original Blade franchise star Wesley Snipes to reprise the character during an extended cameo sequence.

Deadline - Mahershala Ali stated in an interview, "Not with me," when asked if he would still be involved in the 'Blade' project.

Deadline - Mahershala Ali expressed frustration over the stalled 'Blade' project and stated he is "ready to move on" from questions about it.

Variety - Ali stated, "You had me under contract. They have billions of dollars. If they wanted to do it, we would’ve done it."

Collider - The 'Blade' film has been officially cancelled.

WHEN:

Variety - Mahershala Ali was announced to star in the 'Blade' movie during a surprise Comic-Con appearance in 2019.

WHY:

Deadline - Ali's frustration stems from the multiple setbacks the project has faced over the years.

HOW:

The Hollywood Reporter - Ali trained for over a year for the role of Blade, focusing on sword practice, which director Bassam Tariq described as "incredible."

The Hollywood Reporter - Ali stated, "I was very excited to do stunts in Blade and trained for a long time for that, so it was a huge relief to get to put that work to use [in Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother]."

The Hollywood Reporter - Ali trained for over a year for the role of Blade, focusing on sword practice, which he described as "incredible."

Variety - The project had been in development for years, with Marvel Studios hiring directors Bassam Tariq and later Yann Demange for the film.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 22:20 UTC)

Mahershala Ali has confirmed he will not star in the 'Blade' reboot, stating, "For whatever reason, that project is not for me," and he added that the questions surrounding the project's cancellation should be directed to Marvel. This decision comes after Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige expressed his disappointment over the film's failure to launch, saying he feels like a "gigantic loser and failure" for not getting it off the ground with Ali, who had trained extensively for the role. Meanwhile, Ali is set to appear in the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios action film 'Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother,' where he plays a devoutly religious hitman on a mission to protect his children.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 20:21 UTC)

In a surprising turn of events, Mahershala Ali has confirmed that the 'Blade' film is officially cancelled. Ali explained that he feels "creatively redeemed" after working on a different project titled "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother," which he could pursue thanks to the cancellation of 'Blade.' This new film is set to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 19:24 UTC)

Mahershala Ali has confirmed that he is moving on from the Blade project, stating that if Marvel wanted to make the movie, they would have done so, and he feels ready to leave the questions behind. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige expressed his disappointment over the project's failure to launch, admitting he feels like a "gigantic loser and failure" for not getting it off the ground with Ali. Despite the setback, Ali did have a voice cameo in a post-credits scene for 2021’s Eternals, and the character of Blade was brought back by Marvel in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, featuring original franchise star Wesley Snipes.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 18:24 UTC)

In a recent interview, Mahershala Ali made it clear that he will not be involved in the 'Blade' project, stating, "Not with me." This announcement comes as fans eagerly await updates on the film's development. The deadline for further details has been set for 18:24 UTC.

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 17:25 UTC)

Mahershala Ali, a two-time Oscar winner, has expressed his frustration over the stalled 'Blade' project, stating he's "ready to move on" from questions about it. He emphasized that if Marvel Studios truly wanted to move forward, they would have done so, given their resources, and now the film has been officially cancelled. Ali was initially announced to star in the movie during a surprise Comic-Con appearance in 2019, but the project has faced multiple setbacks over the years.