Mahershala Ali Says He's Done With Marvel's Blade
Mahershala Ali Says He's Done With Marvel's Blade
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Key Points
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Ali’s new film, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. He plays Latif, a devoutly religious hitman protecting his children across Houston; John Cho, Giancarlo Esposito, Tiffany Boone and Tramell Tillman also co-star.
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Before it was abandoned, Blade cycled through two directors, at least five writers and four release dates: November 3, 2023; September 6, 2024; February 14, 2025; and November 7, 2025.
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Marvel removed Blade from its schedule in October 2024 and gave its planned release date to Predator: Badlands.
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Ali previously told GQ that Marvel had kept him under contract for years, arguing that the film would have been made if the studio had truly wanted to proceed: “You had me under contract, they have billions of dollars, if they wanted to do the movie, we would've done the movie.”
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Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is scheduled for a theatrical release from Amazon MGM on September 25, followed by a wide release in October.
Mahershala Ali is moving on from Marvel's troubled Blade reboot. After years of delays and creative chaos, the Oscar-winning actor has declared himself "done" with the vampire hunter role Gizmodo. Instead, he's channeling the physical training he built for Blade into a new action thriller called Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, which premieres September 25 through Amazon MGM Coming Soon.
Marvel quietly shelved Blade in October 2024 after the project cycled through two directors, at least five writers, and four different release dates spanning from November 2023 to November 2025 Epic Stream. Despite the project's collapse, Ali views the experience positively, crediting Marvel's support for helping him reunite with former Blade director Bassam Tariq to make the new film AOL.
Blade's Long Road to Cancellation
Marvel announced Blade in 2019 as part of its Phase 5 slate. But the project immediately hit trouble. Two directors departed. Five writers worked on the script. The studio kept pushing the release date back: November 2023, then September 2024, then February 2025, then November 2025 Epic Stream. Finally, in October 2024, Marvel removed it from the schedule entirely and handed the release date to Predator: Badlands.
Ali's Frustration With Marvel's Indecision
Ali previously told GQ that Marvel kept him locked under contract for years without moving forward. "You had me under contract, they have billions of dollars, if they wanted to do the movie, we would've done the movie," he said Gizmodo. The delay left the actor in limbo while executives struggled to figure out the film's direction and vision.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reportedly felt "like a gigantic loser and a failure" over the reboot's collapse Gizmodo. The failed project has become a rare public black eye for Marvel Studios, which built its reputation on delivering major films on schedule.
Blade Training Becomes Your Mother's Action Sequences
Rather than waste the year-plus of physical training he did for Blade, Ali recycled it for Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and stars Ali as Latif, a devoutly religious hitman protecting his children across Houston Coming Soon. The cast includes John Cho, Giancarlo Esposito, Tiffany Boone, and Tramell Tillman.
Director Bassam Tariq, who was originally tapped to helm Blade before Marvel's delays, helmed this new project instead AOL. Ali views the silver lining: Marvel's financial support indirectly funded a better film with a director he trusts. Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother opens theatrically September 25, with a wide release in October.
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