Next summer, Wesley Snipes and company will not only celebrate the 25th anniversary of Blade, but Marvel will also welcome in Mahershala Ali and company to the family as they launch the latest Blade film. At the moment, Marvel is scheduled to begin filming this fall, but it appears that may be delayed, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Bassam Tariq will no longer direct the superhero film.
“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 told The Hollywood Reporter.
“We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.”
Tariq previously worked on Mogul Mowgli with Riz Ahmed and These Birds Walk with Omar Mullick. In this film, he was slated to work alongside a star-studded cast that included Ali and Delroy Lindo. Unfortunately, he’ll have to catch up with the two talented actors at a later date.
“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,” Tariq added.
Despite Tariq’s departure, it does appear that Blade is still on track to be released in November 2023.
