Yann Demange has parted ways with the MCU’s Blade reboot.
Marvel’s Blade reboot has now lost its second director. On Wednesday, a report from The Wrap confirmed that Yann Demange (Lovecraft Country, White Boy Rick) has parted ways with the Marvel Studios project, which will star Mahershala Ali as a new version of the titular Marvel vampire hunter. Demange is actually the second director to have officially signed on for Blade, replacing Bassam Tariq following his own exit from the project in September of 2022. According to the reporting, Demange’s exit from Blade actually occurred “a while ago”, and was described as “entirely amicable.”
Marvel Studios veteran Eric Pearson is the most recent writer attached to the Blade script, working from a previous draft from Michael Starbury. At the moment, Blade is still slated for a fall 2025 release date, although there’s no telling if and how that could change amid Demange’s exit.
What Is Going on With Marvel’s Blade?
Ali has been attached to portray Eric Brooks / Blade since San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, ultimately making his MCU debut with an uncredited voice cameo in 2021’s Eternals movie. In the years since, the Blade solo film has been through years of development woes, with turnover of multiple writers, ensemble cast members, and release dates. Reports have indicated that plans for Blade ranged from various period pieces, to lower budget fare, to a female-led ensemble that would have Blade himself be a supporting character.
Ali was quoted in December of 2023 saying that he’s “encouraged” by the most recent direction the movie is heading in, but newer details have been scarce. The most recent concrete piece of information came from Aaron Pierre, who joined the project in 2022, confirming in March of this year that he is no longer attached amid those creative evolutions. Other previously-reported cast members, including Mia Goth, Milan Ray, and Delroy Lindo, are not currently confirmed to be part of the most recent incarnation of the film. With Ali recently cast in Universal’s new Jurassic World movie, which will begin production later this summer for a July 2025 release date, some had already wondered if Blade was about to hit yet another snag. Some have even begun to theorize that Blade is among the projects secretly cancelled by Disney CEO Bob Iger, who hinted earlier this year that some of those “tough calls” have already been made.
As mentioned above, Blade is currently scheduled to be released on November 7, 2025.