Marvel has a lot of irons in the fire. The first time they debuted a billboard-sized roadmap of their upcoming projects, it was one of the boldest shows of confidence anyone had seen from a movie studio. Now, it reads like a threat that's subject to change. Marvel has Blade on the docket for next November, but they can't seem to keep a director around. Chad Stahelski has announced his desire to take a crack at Blade, and despite some apprehension, he would be an excellent selection.
Is it easier or harder to make a superhero movie about a character with several previous cinematic appearances? Iron Man had never seen the big screen when the Marvel Cinematic Universe made him their flagship character. Ditto lesser-known characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy. Spider-Man, on the other hand, has to contend with three different film series with distinct portrayals and surrounding worlds. Blade will be at least two decades removed from his last starring role, but that offers advantages and disadvantages to the team that will reintroduce him.
Blade lost its second director
Prospective Bladedirector Yann Demange walked away from the project recently. He signed on in November 2022, replacing the previous director, Bassam Tariq. Tariq joined the production in September 2021. Mahershala Ali has been cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Eric Brooks since 2019. He provided his voice for the character without credit in the Eternals' post-credits scene in 2021. Since Marvel announced Blade, they've seen at least four scripts from five total writers. The ever-changing script might have something to do with the shifting directors. As it stands, Marvel hasn't announced a new director for the project. Eric Pearson, a writer on several Marvel projects, including the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, is the most recent attached screenwriter. This level of consistent upheaval says questionable things about the state of the film. Marvel needs to get things back on track, and a strong announcement of intent might be the only option.
Chad Stahelski wants to direct Blade
In a January interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Chad Stahelski discussed his relationship with Marvel. He has worked with elements of Marvel Studios in the past. He goes so far as to describe Marvel head Kevin Feige as a mentor figure when it came time to develop his massive John Wick franchise. He named Blade as his ideal project, saying:
Of all the things out there, I would take a swing at Blade in a second. Like that's one that gets under my skin, like, 'Ah! I'd take a swing at that one.'"
Stahelski is a well-known talent with a thrilling list of accomplishments. The John Wick series speaks for itself. Four excellent, groundbreaking action blockbusters that grew into an iconic franchise out of pure audience goodwill. Half of the action genre took a page out of Stahelski's book, creating tons of familiar features that play like John Wick with a different star in the suit. Stahelski is a prolific stunt performer, coordinator, and second-unit director on several projects. He's also been all over the superhero genre. His first project was The Crow, in which he performed stunts and served as Brandon Lee's body double after his tragic passing. A decade later, he did some uncredited stunt work for Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2. He led stunt and action teams on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Iron Man 2, Dredd, and The Wolverine. He was even the second-unit director on Captain America: Civil War. He'll appear for more stunt work in this year's Deadpool & Wolverine. Stahelski is a legendary action talent who has handled some of Marvel's finest moments. If he wants Blade, Marvel should consider giving it to him.
Chad Stahelski would be perfect for Blade
Humanity has one pretty good Blade movie, one very good Blade movie, and one terrible Blade movie, in that order. From that example, fans know the exact path it would take to create an excellent Blade movie. Eric Brooks is a straightforward character. He's stoic, sharp-witted, and reserved. He likes the occasional quip after a kill, but most of his lines are dedicated to threats and grumbles. Blade kills vampires, and that's the only thing most fans are prepared to say with confidence. The vampires in question tend to be a secret society of high-class monsters who hide in plain sight and prey upon the innocent. So, an excellent Blade film should quickly establish the existence of an all-powerful vampire society, depict the might of the Daywalker, and let him brutally execute every blood-sucking creep he can get his hands on. It's a movie about a taciturn super-assassin striking, shooting, and slashing his way through wave after wave of killers, usually to avenge the loss of one or several loved ones. Eagle-eyed readers might recognize this description as the exact plot of all four John Wick films. Chad Stahelski has made this movie four times; he just left out all the fangs.
Marvel will likely overthink their Blade. He'll be tied to half a dozen other Marvel characters, the vampires will have some skin-deep pretense of nuance, and the plot will probably mostly be about his relationship with his adoptive father. However, if Marvel wants to make something refreshing and exciting, simplicity should be the name of the game. Chad Stahelski is the perfect director for the new Blade. If anyone knows how to build a franchise out of a straightforward action premise, it's him.
Blade: It's Time for Marvel to Rethink The Movie... Again
After years of false starts and the loss of two directors, Marvel Studios needs to go back to the beginning with Blade and focus on the script.
