After numerous delays, creative breakups, and production woes, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has all but confirmed that one 2025 movie will not see the light of day next year.
The MCU’s Rebirth
Just weeks ago, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a strategic shift for the MCU, stating that Marvel Studios would no longer have unlimited freedom in their release schedule. Moving forward, Disney will limit the output to a maximum of three films and two TV shows per year.
This decision, coupled with a significant creative overhaul of the television division and Brad Winderbaum’s announcement of a “new system” at the studio, follows the MCU’s most challenging year yet.
In 2023, the franchise saw underwhelming performances from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) and The Marvels (2023), as well as the poorly received Secret Invasion series led by Samuel L. Jackson on Disney+. Despite The Marvels achieving the lowest box office returns in the franchise, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is set to make a comeback further down the line.
In response, Disney and Marvel have streamlined their strategy, releasing only one movie this year: Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), starring beloved actors and real-life best friends Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as Wade Wilson/Deadpool and Logan/Wolverine, respectively.
Ryan Reynolds pitched multiple versions of the third Deadpool movie to Marvel’s Kevin Feige, and after several unsuccessful pitches, the team was given the green light. Reynolds recently revealed in an interview with Greg James on BBC Radio 1 that an early version of Deadpool 3 included a musical number of Elton John’s “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues.”
Watch the hilarious interview here:
Deadpool & Wolverine marks the MCU’s first-ever R-rated movie, and judging by the ticket pre-sales, it seems to be going down a storm with audiences. The film already shows immense promise at breaking the billion-dollar wall, with Forbes confirming it has broken pre-sale ticket records for an R-rated movie. This indicates a positive outlook for Marvel Studios after its worrisome 2023 performance.
Levy’s movie’s R-rating is now the first in a new wave of Disney superhero storytelling—a previously untapped arena for the MCU. Kevin Feige, speaking to Black Tree TV, seemingly confirmed that another upcoming Marvel movie would carry the rating.
When asked whether the Blade (2025) reboot, starring Mahershala Ali, would be rated R, Feige said: “I think, like Deadpool, that’s inherent with the character of Blade”
But will MCU fans ever get to see the Blade?
MCU’s Blade Reboot Woes
After numerous delays, the MCU’s first Blade movie is now scheduled for a November 2025 release, but it feels like it may never arrive.
Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Green Book) was announced as the vampire hunter back at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 and made an uncredited appearance in the post-credits scene of Chloé Zhao’s Eternals in 2021, where Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman encountered the Ebony Blade.
Since then, Blade has been stuck in development hell. Stacy Osei-Kuffour was hired to write the movie in 2021, with Bassam Tariq joining as director later that September. Tariq exited in 2023 due to scheduling and creative differences, leading to Yann Demange being brought on to direct.
Related: Wesley Snipes Will Join MCU as Blade This Summer, New Report
During this period, several writers, including Michael Starrbury, Nic Pizzolatto, and Eric Pearson, contributed to the script. The latest setback came earlier this month when director Yann Demange also left the project, once again leaving the movie without a creative helm.
Even original Eric Brooks/Blade actor Wesley Snipes, who starred in the original three movies from 1998, 2002, and 2004, weighed in on the problematic development, calling it “kinda rough” (via The Independent).
This recent development, combined with Bob Iger’s directive to limit releases to no more than three movies per year, casts doubt on the planned 2025 release. And if the MCU distribution changes and the sticky development process weren’t enough, Feige has just all but confirmed that November 2025’s release date will be scrapped.
“For the last few years, we’ve been trying to crack that movie,” Feige said in the Black Tree TV interview. “I think the most important thing for us is not rushing it and making sure that we’re making the right Blade movie because there were some great Blade movies years ago.”
With just 15 months to go until its planned release–a release date still on the official Marvel Studios website–it seems completely unlikely that the movie will be ready to go by the end of next year. Chances are Blade will end up deeper into Phase Six. Alongside Ali, Pearl (2022) and MaXXXine‘s (2024) Mia Goth will also star.
So far, only Avengers 5 (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) is included in the 2026 slate, with Avengers: Secret Wars arriving a year later in 2027.
Recent rumors have swirled regarding the pair of films, with Marvel reportedly meeting with the Russo Brothers (Anthony Russo and Joe Russo) to discuss not just helming these Avengers movies but becoming the creative puppeteers of the franchise at large.
Audiences can expect news to come about future projects this coming week as Marvel Studios makes its grand return to San Diego ComicCon, including their big Hall H presentation.
Feige’s comments come after another hurdle was placed in the path of Blade’s production–the casting of Mahershala Ali in another major blockbuster franchise from Universal Pictures, with a film slated for summer 2025.
Ali is also set to star in Universal’s upcoming “fast-tracked” Jurassic World 4, which is currently in production. According to reports, this fourth Jurassic World film is described as a “completely fresh take” and will launch a “new Jurassic era.” Filming commenced earlier this month in Thailand, with additional work being captured in Bangkok, Trang, Phang Nga, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.
Known as Jurassic World 4, though Jurassic City has been mentioned and a recent trademark filing for Jurassic World Rebirth has also surfaced, Universal Pictures plans to release the movie on July 2, 2025.
Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jonathan Bailey (Wicked), Luna Blaise (Manifest), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Magnificent Seven), Rupert Friend (Asteroid City), and David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) will join Ali in the forthcoming dinosaur epic.
Blade’s Cinematic Journey
Feige is right, though. Blade already has a trio of movies cemented in the pop culture canon.
Blade, released in 1998, is a superhero horror film directed by Stephen Norrington and based on the Marvel Comics character Blade. The film stars Wesley Snipes as Eric Cross Brooks, AKA the titular character–a half-human, half-vampire hybrid known as a “Daywalker” (Dhampir), who possesses all the strengths of vampires but none of their weaknesses except the thirst for blood.
Blade dedicates his life to hunting down vampires to avenge his mother’s death and protect humanity from the vampire underworld. The movie’s plot follows Blade as he battles the vampire overlord Deacon Frost, played by Stephen Dorff, who plans to bring about an apocalyptic event to make vampires the dominant species.
Blade is notable for its dark, stylish visual aesthetic and intense action sequences, blending martial arts, swordplay, and gunfights. It stands out as a pioneering film in the modern superhero genre, predating the success of later Marvel films and contributing to the resurgence of comic book adaptations in cinema.
The film’s success led to two sequels, Blade II (2002) and Blade: Trinity (2004), and it helped establish Wesley Snipes as an action star. Additionally, Blade received praise for its unique take on vampire mythology and its R-rated approach, which set it apart from other superhero movies of its time.
Marvel Phase Five and Six Explained
Marvel’s Phases Five and Six continue the MCU saga with new heroes, character development, and epic crossover events.
Phase Five features films such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which explored the Quantum Realm and introduced Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) as a major villain. James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) delved into Rocket’s (Bradley Cooper) past, while The Marvels teamed Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) with Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris).
Additionally, Captain America: Brave New World (2025) sees Sam Wilson embracing his new role as Captain America next year, and “Thunderbolts” (2025) assembles a team of antiheroes featuring the likes of Sebastian Stan’s Buck Barnes/Winter Soldier and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova/Black Widow, and closes out Phase Five.
Phase Six sets the stage for grand crossovers with Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four (2025), introducing Marvel’s First Family and two major Avengers films: Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
Related: Silver Surfer Recast: “Anti-Woke” Mob Will Be Thrilled Over Latest MCU Report
These phases have and will aim to push the boundaries of interconnected storytelling and expand the MCU’s scope, building toward a climax that brings together heroes from different realities and timelines in an epic Multiverse Saga–but just who will be featured in the final chapter?
What are your thoughts on the upcoming MCU Blade reboot? Let us know in the comments down below!
