The Marvel franchise is no longer just a sequel of superhero films, but an entire universe of its own which is comprised of fan theories, several characters, a plot, and much more. As the giant franchise continues to develop a new Blade film, president Kevin Feige shared some insights into their approach for the reboot.
Feige spoke with BlackTree TV to promote Disney’s upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine film, which is scheduled to release on July 26, 2024. During the interview, Feige was questioned about the progress of the new Blade movie, announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 with Mahershala Ali set to star as the half-vampire character.
Feige was asked if the R-rating of Deadpool & Wolverine would influence the new Blade, considering the original Blade movies starring Wesley Snipes were also rated R to which he nodded yes. Now, the upcoming Deadpool film will be the first R-rated movie from Marvel Studios.
Why Did the Makers Decide to Rate the Upcoming Blade Film as R?
An R-rated movie, as determined by the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA), is generally unsuitable for children under the age of 17. The Marvel makers decided to give the upcoming Blade film this rating, influenced by the popularity of Fox’s Deadpool franchise. Following the adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Marvel is considering whether other movies will also adopt this rating.
Creator Marv Wolfman always believed Blade would be popular, but it wasn’t until the ’90s that the character truly flourished. During that time, Marvel embraced gritty, dark, and violent comics, making a vampire hunter a perfect fit. The original Blade movies, starting with the 1998 film, were also rated R, which kept the intense and mature themes of the characters in place.
More on MCU’s Blade
The new Blade made headlines last month with the news that director Yann Demange has left the film. This followed the project having previously been set to head into production in the fall of 2022 when filmmaker Bassam Tariq quit over creative differences. Moreover, The MCU’s Phase 4 part has been in a state of significant fluctuation, largely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Screen Rant, given all the changes to the Phase 4 slate, fans have forgotten the studio has an unannounced film scheduled for October 7. That would be the perfect time to launch an R-rated superhero horror franchise.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ali’s attorney, Shelby Weiser, discussed the drawn-out process of making the film. Said Weiser of Ali signing on for Blade: “That deal was in 2019, and they still haven’t shot it, which is pretty much the craziest thing in my professional experience
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