Kevin Feige Calls Failed 'Blade' Reboot a 'Loser' Moment for Marvel

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige says the failed reboot of 'Blade' makes him feel like a failure. He made the candid admission while reflecting on the project's troubled development history.

Feige expressed his disappointment. "I am feeling like a gigantic loser and failure that we didn’t get off the ground with Mahershala," he said. He confirmed it was still exciting to see Wesley Snipes return as the character in 2024's "Deadpool and Wolverine."

What happened to the 'Blade' reboot?

Marvel first announced a new "Blade" movie starring Mahershala Ali in July 2019. The project cycled through multiple directors, including Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange, who both ultimately exited. The studio officially removed the film from its release calendar in fall 2024.

Feige explained the prolonged delays were a symptom of Marvel's "over-expansion" into Disney+ content, where "quantity trumped quality." As the studio reevaluated its development process, the "Blade" movie was one of the projects that stalled. "We didn’t want to simply just put a leather outfit on him and have him start killing vampires. It had to be unique," Feige explained. When Marvel began to reevaluate its development process, the "Blade" movie was one of the projects that stalled.

Is Mahershala Ali still attached?

Despite the development struggles, Ali's commitment has never wavered. He told Variety last summer, "I’m ready. Let them know I’m ready."