Marvel's New Blade Director Potentially Revealed

After director Bassam Tariq dropped out of Marvel's Blade reboot starring Mahershala Ali the Marvel Studios reboot has been in a bit of quandary with plenty of rumors circulating about the production. Filming on the project was scheduled to begin this year but the search for a new director has delayed the start date and even its release, but it seems Marvel may have found someone to step in. The Cosmic Circus brings word that filmmaker Elegance Bratton, director of the upcoming A24 release The Inspection, appeared on a shortlist to take the job but the outlet reports they believe he's booked the job.

No confirmation from Marvel Studios or the Hollywood trades has been made just yet, but Bratton does fit the mold of the kind of filmmaker that the House of Ideas tends to look at for some of their projects. His past credits include a few short films, the Viceland TV series My House which he executive produced, and the documentary Pier Kids. Marvel's track record of finding filmmakers with a lot of indie experience that show a unique sensibility in some regard and a mastery of character has long been their M.O., and Bratton fits into it. Check back for confirmation on Marvel's Blade news as we learn it.

When does Marvel's Blade reboot come out?

As a result of the turmoil behind the scenes, Marvel's Blade was naturally delayed by Marvel Studios. It wasn't long after it was announced that the director had departed the project that the studio confirmed it would no longer be released on November 3, 2023 (a release date that wouldn't have capitalized on the Halloween season very well) and will now drop on September 6, 2024. Blade's new release date puts it between some high profile Marvel releases, premiering in theaters just a few months after the Thunderbolts movie and a few months prior to the highly-anticipated Deadpool 3 with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

"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," Marvel Studios previously said in a statement on the film's changes. "We appreciate Bassam's talent and all the work he's done getting Blade to where it is."  

Where does Blade fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Without any clues to what the plot or which characters will appear in the Blade movie just yet we can't say exactly how it will fit into the big picture of the MCU and the larger "Multiverse Saga." One thing fans are counting on however is some kind of answer as to what the post-credits scene in Marvel's Eternals was all about. As fans may recall, the movie ended with Kit Harington's Dwayne Whitman picking up The Ebony Blade and a voice off screen asking him: "Sure you're ready for that, Mr. Whitman?" So far it's a tease that makes little sense.

One major place that Blade could hold in the Marvel Cinematic Universe however is in becoming a unifying force for some of its characters. The likes of Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night, and others may not seem like they would fit in with The Avengers and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but a place on the Midnight Suns, a team that Blade was a member of along with Ghost Rider back in the day, could be a big team-up for the MCU.