Following the current landscape surrounding Hollywood and the recent writers’ strike from WGA, all major studios are set to suffer intense pushback, especially the Marvel studios. Considering their upcoming slate comprising several projects, which will shape the multiverse saga, the strike has become a major concern for them and has already resulted in the hindrance of Blade’s pre-production.
Ever since its announcement back in 2019, MCU’s upcoming Blade has suffered multiple delays and it seems, the upcoming Mahershala Ali-led movie is MCU’s first victim from the writer’s strike.
WGA’s strike resulted in the pause of Mahershala Ali’s Blade pre-production
Originally set to be released in 2023, Mahershala Ali‘s Blade was eventually pushed back to a release date of 6 September 2024, after the original director Bassam Tariq left the project. However, with Yann Demange on board, the movie’s filming was set to begin next month in Atlanta after being in pre-production for a while, but it seems the plans for the film’s release might witness another shift.
Following the impact of the strike, Marvel studios have decided to pause the pre-production of Blade, and the production for the movie will reportedly continue after WGA settles down with AMPTP. Even though just weeks before the strike, True Detective writer Nic Pizzolatto was brought into the production to re-write Starrbury’s screenplay for the movie, he reportedly wasn’t able to complete it. One insider reported that before he could finish up with the script “time simply ran out”. Although the impact of the strike has already begun, fans are now worried about MCU’s upcoming future.
Fans are concerned over the pause in Blade’s pre-production
The last few years haven’t been the brightest for the MCU after Marvel wrapped their Infinity Saga with Avengers: Endgame. Following their plethora of underwhelming releases and the lackluster start of their ambitious multiverse saga, the last thing that MCU would have wanted was a writer’s strike. But considering the recent release of Guardians of the Galaxy 3, which was a step in the right direction for the studios, a strike might end up hampering their newly found momentum
And following the recent hindrance in the production of Blade, fans have expressed their concerns and disappointment regarding the situation through Twitter.
And so the first major domino falls… pic.twitter.com/IJzbBzPqgS
— RJ (@ResonantJustice) May 5, 2023
This is so sad. 😕
— Scopey_13 (@Scopey_13) May 5, 2023
This movie will never come out. Recast blade pleaseeeee. The man's gonna be 75 when it starts filming
— Karus🩸Hunter II (@kaytwo_) May 6, 2023
😥😢😭 pic.twitter.com/9TNBgBzkL2
— 🟣Ramont 🛫Booker🟣 (@ramont_booker) May 6, 2023
— Crackly Dackly (@CracklyDacklyZ) May 5, 2023
I expect a lot more of this news soon unless the studios agree to the demands
— Z ⚡ (@SnapzEnt) May 5, 2023
But apart from Blade, the pre-production of another MCU project Thunderbolts has been left unaffected by the strike. And fans will hope that other MCU projects in various stages of production don’t get hindered by the WGA strike.
MCU’s Blade will hit theatres on 6 September 2024.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
