It’s been practically six years since Mahershala Ali stepped out onstage throughout Marvel Studios‘ Corridor H presentation at San Diego Comedian-Con, the place producer Kevin Feige introduced that the two-time Oscar-winning actor could be enjoying the vampire slayer Blade, rebooting the character first originated on-screen by Wesley Snipes and including him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since then, the undertaking has dropped quite a few administrators, misplaced solid members and confronted a number of delays.

However even by way of all that turbulent growth, Ali tells Selection he’s eager to begin filming on “Blade.”

“Name Marvel,” Ali stated on the New York premiere of his new movie “Jurassic World Rebirth.” The actor stored his reply transient when requested when “Blade” manufacturing might begin. “I’m prepared. Allow them to know I’m prepared.”

Marvel Studios first introduced Blade in 2019, alongside different initiatives like Disney Plus collection “WandaVision,” “Loki” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” in addition to films like “Eternals,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity.” However whereas all these initiatives have been produced and launched, Marvel Studios remains to be making an attempt to ice-skate uphill with “Blade.”

Final October, Disney eliminated “Blade” from its launch calendar altogether, taking it off a Nov. 7, 2025 launch date. That got here after quite a few prior delays; the movie’s first official launch date was Nov. 3, 2023.

The undertaking first noticed filmmaker Bassam Tariq signal on to direct the film, earlier than he exited in September 2022, roughly two months earlier than a deliberate manufacturing begin. Since then, director Yann Demanger has additionally joined and exited. Actors Aaron Pierre and Delroy Lindo had been reportedly connected to star alongside Ali, however each have since revealed that they’ve left the undertaking.

“It was actually thrilling conceptually, however it was additionally thrilling by way of the character that was going to kind. After which, for no matter cause, it simply went off the rails,” Lindo instructed Leisure Weekly concerning the undertaking again in April.

Again in November, Feige stated that Marvel Studios was “nonetheless dedicated” to “Blade,” talking at Disney’s D23 Brazil occasion: “We love the character. We love Mahershala’s tackle him. And relaxation assured: each time we alter course with a undertaking, or are nonetheless determining the way it suits into our schedule, we let the viewers know. You’re all updated on what’s taking place.”

Ali’s final replace on the undertaking was in December 2023, when he stated, “I’m actually inspired with the course of the undertaking. We’ll be again at it comparatively quickly.”