Mahershala Ali’s upcoming Blade reboot has certainly been quite the rollercoaster in the worst possible ways. With the film having first been announced in 2019, it is extremely concerning to find out the fact that even now, the film is still in the production process, and has gone through at least five writers, two directors, and one shutdown, merely six weeks before production.
A recent report by Variety has suggested that things almost got so bad behind the scenes that the Oscar-winning actor they cast in the titular role, Ali, who is best known for his work in projects like Green Book, Moonlight, True Detective, and Swan Song, almost walked out production altogether.
The Blade Script Was Completely Changed
A source close to the project shared with Variety some inside details about what is going on in the production of Blade. They revealed that there were some very big changes that were almost made to the script of the film that would infuriate, not only fans of the character and those who are anticipating the film but also the lead, Mahershala Ali himself.
The source then went on to reveal these changes that were made, stating that the film would have had a female-driven narrative. While this would be a little odd, this change is not nearly as concerning and controversial as what followed after this. They went on to reveal that the film would have been filled with life lessons, which would have been quite an odd tone to set in a film about a vampire hunter, but also, Ali’s character would no longer be the central character of the project, being bumped down to the fourth lead.
Mahershala Ali Almost Walked Away Because Of This
The source then went on to tell Variety that, naturally, Mahershala Ali wasn’t happy with this change at all. So much so, that the actor, who has stuck around this project for almost five years, threatened to walk away from the project if these changes were made. Marvel, not wanting to lose the Oscar-winning actor, decided to start from scratch.
For them, this meant hiring the person responsible for the script of one of the most well-executed films, story-wise, in the history of the franchise, Michael Green, who won an Oscar for his work in the 2017 film, Logan. The film is, yet again, starting from the very start and is expected to release sometime in 2025, having a budget of less than $100 million.
