Mahershala Ali expressed his frustration over the stalled Blade reboot and Marvel’s silence during the premiere of Jurassic World: Dominion in New York on Monday.
The Oscar-winning actor told The Hollywood Reporter he’s still in the dark about the long-delayed project, which was first announced nearly six years ago at San Diego Comic-Con.
“I’m just taking it a day at a time. I’m doing the best work I can,” Ali said. “I would love for Blade to happen. We’ll see; I don’t know where Marvel is at right now. I’m just looking for the next great part, I really am.”
Ali, who was tapped to take over the vampire-slaying role made famous by Wesley Snipes, has been attached to the reboot since 2019.
But the film has faced repeated setbacks, including the departure of two directors—Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange—and the loss of key cast members.
In October 2023, Marvel pulled the title from its release calendar altogether.
Despite the uncertainty, Ali hasn’t lost interest. In a separate interview with Variety, he made his position clear: “Call Marvel. I’m ready. Let them know I’m ready.”
The Moonlight and Green Book star revealed that he recently got back into action mode with “some sword work” for his upcoming film Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, which helped him scratch his “stunts itch.”
The original Blade trilogy, led by Snipes, ran from 1998 to 2004 and helped pave the way for modern superhero films.
Snipes even returned to the character in a cameo for 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, adding more pressure on Marvel to deliver on its reboot promises.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told attendees at D23 last fall that the company remained “still committed” to the Blade reboot, but no new release date has been announced.