THR reports that Marvel Studios has paused ongoing pre-production on ‘Blade‘ in the wake of parting ways with director Bassim Tariq two weeks ago. The studio is reportedly temporarily shutting down production-related activities in Atlanta, where the project was due to have shot starting in November, while it conducts a search for a filmmaker and further develops it. The studio is hoping to restart the production in early 2023. The film is set to star Mahershala Ali.

Blade had seen its start of production shift at least a couple of times as it underwent several rounds of script rewrites. Beau DeMayo (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Witcher, Moon Knight) is the current writer.

In the wake of the news the release date for Blade been moved from Nov. 3, 2023 to Sept. 6, 2024. Also, the  Marvel Studios films Deadpool 3, Fantastic Four and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Blade has been one of Marvel’s more anticipated films since the studio announced the project to much fanfare at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. At the very end of the Marvel panel, Ali made a surprise appearance and put on a baseball cap with the Blade logo. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige later told THR that Ali had personally called him to express interest in playing the character.

Blade was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan for 1973’s The Tomb of Dracula No. 10. He is a half-mortal, half-immortal who hunts vampires in order to avenge his mother, who was killed by a vampire as she gave birth to him. Wesley Snipes previously played the character in a trilogy released the early 2000s.

Marvel Studios ‘Blade’ loses it’s director

Marvel Studios delays upcoming releases