It’s been practically six years since Mahershala Ali stepped out onstage throughout Marvel Studios‘ Corridor H presentation at San Diego Comedian-Con, the place producer Kevin Feige introduced that the two-time Oscar-winning actor can be taking part in the vampire slayer Blade, rebooting the character first originated on-screen by Wesley Snipes and including him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since then, the mission has dropped quite a few administrators, misplaced forged members and confronted a number of delays.

However even by means of all that turbulent growth, Ali tells Selection he’s eager to begin filming on “Blade.”

“Name Marvel,” Ali mentioned on the New York premiere of his new movie “Jurassic World Rebirth.” The actor stored his reply transient when requested when “Blade” manufacturing might begin. “I’m prepared. Let them know I’m prepared.”

Marvel Studios first introduced Blade in 2019, alongside different initiatives like Disney Plus sequence “WandaVision,” “Loki” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” in addition to films like “Eternals,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity.” However whereas all these initiatives have been produced and launched, Marvel Studios remains to be attempting to ice-skate uphill with “Blade.”

Final October, Disney eliminated “Blade” from its launch calendar altogether, taking it off a Nov. 7, 2025 launch date. That got here after quite a few prior delays; the movie’s first official launch date was Nov. 3, 2023.

The mission first noticed filmmaker Bassam Tariq signal on to direct the film, earlier than he exited in September 2022, roughly two months earlier than a deliberate manufacturing begin. Since then, director Yann Demanger has additionally joined and exited. Actors Aaron Pierre and Delroy Lindo have been reportedly hooked up to star alongside Ali, however each have since revealed that they’ve left the mission.

“It was actually thrilling conceptually, however it was additionally thrilling when it comes to the character that was going to type. After which, for no matter purpose, it simply went off the rails,” Lindo advised Leisure Weekly concerning the mission again in April.

Again in November, Feige mentioned that Marvel Studios was “nonetheless dedicated” to “Blade,” talking at Disney’s D23 Brazil occasion: “We love the character. We love Mahershala’s tackle him. And relaxation assured: each time we alter path with a mission, or are nonetheless determining the way it suits into our schedule, we let the viewers know. You’re all up to date on what’s taking place.”

Ali’s final replace on the mission was in December 2023, when he mentioned, “I’m actually inspired with the path of the mission. We’ll be again at it comparatively quickly.”