Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has insisted the 'Blade' reboot is taking a long time because the team doesn't want it to be "rushed".
Kevin Feige has given an update on the Blade reboot
The original movie starring Wesley Snipes - based on Marvel's vampire-slaying superhero - was released in 1998 and spawned two sequels and a TV series and now the studio is attempting to bring it back to life for a new generation but the production has suffered numerous setbacks and its planned release date was pushed back by two years.
Now Feige has claimed the team are just treading carefully and making sure the project isn't rushed out. He told BlackTree TV: "For the last two years as we’ve been trying to crack that movie, the most important thing for us is not rushing it and making sure we are making the right ‘Blade’ movie."
He went on to insist the team plans to follow in the footsteps of Marvel's 'Deadpool' franchise by keeping 'Blade' with a restrictive adults-only age-rating.
Feige added: "There were some great ‘Blade’ movies years ago - they were all rated-R. So I think that’s, like 'Deadpool', inherent with the character of Blade."
Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali is set to take on the role of the vampire hunter alongside Mia Goth as the villain Lilith.
The movie has already gone through two directors, Bassam Tariq was first to go, followed by Yann Demange. But Mia recently insisted the project is being handled with care.
She told Deadline.com: "[The cast and crew] really care, they do. They want to make a great movie. That’s the sense that I get from them and that feels good."
The script comes from the likes of 'Black Widow' and 'Thor: Ragnarok' scribe Eric Pearson and 'True Detective' creator Nic Pizzolatto.
Wesley Snipes recently laughed at the production’s delays, writing in a post on X: "Blade, lordylordylordy folks still lookin for the secret sauce, ridin snowmobiles in traffic, kinda rough.
"Daywalkers make it look easy, don’t they? (sic)"
In an interview with Uproxx, he did, however, puts his support behind Ali. He said: "I don’t have any involvement, but I support the young artists and I support Marvel in their business decisions. It’s a beautiful thing. I think he’s a heck of a job. He’s got a heck of a job on his hands."
Tagged in Wesley Snipes Kevin Feige Mahershala Ali