Mahershala Ali’s upcoming Blade film with Marvel Studios has lost director Bassam Tariq two months before production was set to begin.
Way back during 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed that Mahershala Ali was set to start in a rebooted version of Blade for the Marvel Cinematic Univers. News at first was slow to come by at first, but the project steadily began to take shape. In mid-2021, Bassam Tariq was brought on to direct the project. Sadly this is no longer the case.
Blade Looses Its Director
Mahershala Ali’s Blade was set to begin production this November. Unfortunately, Bassam Tariq is no longer part of the project. In a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios stated this was due to shifts in the production schedule:
“Due to continued shifts in our production schedule, Bassam is no longer moving forward as director of Blade but will remain an executive producer on the film. We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.”
In his own statement Bassam Tariq noted that he could not wait to see what the new director does with the film:
“It’s been an honor working with the wonderful folks at Marvel. We were able to put together a killer cast and crew. Eager to see where the next director takes the film.”
Mahershala Ali’s Blade previously appeared off camera in the after-credits scene for Eternals. Here is the plot synopsis for the film:
The story takes place across two time periods. One storyline is set in the past when they operated as a formidable team and a close family unit. The second storyline is in the present, when the group has fractured and split apart, content to live among humans, hiding in plain sight. The prevailing threat of the Deviants, which once again threatens the existence of mankind, means the Eternals need to put their differences aside and regroup.
Chloe Zhao directed Eternals from a script she co-wrote with Patrick Burleigh, Kaz Firpo, and Ryan Firpo. The cast of the Marvel Studios project includes Gemma Chan as Sersi, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Barry Keoghan as Druig, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Harry Styles as Starfox, and Mahershala Ali as Blade.
Marvel’s upcoming Blade film is currently set to be released on November 3rd, 2023. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the upcoming Mahershala Ali film, Bassam Tariq’s departure from the project, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.