Are the cracks finally starting to show in the MCU's multiverse of madness, because with fans divided on the outcome of phase 4, a new report is making the rounds that director Bassam Tariq has parted ways with the upcoming Blade reboot.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film was supposed to start shooting in Atlanta in November, but due to countless delays, Tariq has dropped out.
“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 said in a statemen to THR. “We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.”
Tariq thanked Marvel in his own statement: “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.”
The production schedule has been shifted numerous times already, and most recently, industry insider Jeff Sneider tweeted that the Blade script has undergone countless rewrites, with the latest draft clocking in at 90 pages.
He also said he heard the film features two lackluster action sequences, and with the frequent delays, actor Mahershala Ali is becoming very frustrated with the process because he's having to turn down other roles in order to commit to the film's grueling schedule.
Beau DeMayo (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Witcher, Moon Knight) is the current screenwriter, and Marvel is currently searching for a new director.
No word on exactly if they will keep their November 2022 shooting schedule (IMO a month is not enough time for a new director to prep for a new movie), so I'm expecting we're not going to see this film (which was announced at San Diego Comic Con back in 2019) not on it's November 3, 2023 release date but possibly in 2024.
If I had my choice of directors, my choices would be Guillermo Del Toro (Blade 2), Chad Stahelski (John Wick films) or David Leich (Bullet Train).
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