Former X-Men ’97 Writer Reveals Abandoned Blade Plans He Pitched to ‘Broken’ Marvel Studios

Former X-Men '97 Writer Reveals Abandoned Blade Plans He Pitched to 'Broken' Marvel Studios

As a seasoned movie critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of Hollywood chaos, but the saga of Marvel’s Blade reboot has topped them all. It seems like every time we get close to seeing Daywalker Mahershala Ali in action, the project gets delayed or derailed.


The creation process of a certain project has been one of the major challenges Marvel Studios has faced in recent years, and Beau DeMayo, who was previously in charge of X-Men ’97, has added to their troubles by disclosing ideas he proposed before being removed from the project following allegations of on-set misconduct.

DeMayo has been dishing out information about various Marvel projects he was previously involved with, including the challenging new take on Blade. On his Twitter posts, he offered a straightforward yet budget-friendly idea to ensure that Blade becomes a hit.

Imagine a John Wick film with vampire mobsters instead of ordinary mobsters. Instead of Keanu Reeves, picture Ali (without specifying who that is) as the protagonist, armed with a sword rather than worrying about his daughter’s safety. The original film cost around $20 million to produce. Let’s add another $10 million for the VFX related to vampires and magical elements similar to Darkhold, and you have a Marvel-style movie budget ranging from $30 to $40 million.

Later on, DeMayo delved into discussing one of the three preliminary scripts he prepared for the movie ‘Blade’, each of which appeared to have been turned down by what he referred to as a malfunctioning Marvel Studios. In other words, he stated that all these drafts were rejected by Marvel Studios, which seemed to be in some sort of disarray at the time.

“I can’t understand why this project has been so challenging. The studio seems to be malfunctioning. I’ve written three drafts and more than a dozen outlines in just three months, with my favorite being a ‘The Raid’-inspired script where Blade is tasked with protecting a run-down apartment building full of humans from Varney’s vampire horde until daybreak. The story takes place over one night, during which Blade discovers that Varney is attacking because the woman whom Blade has feelings for has been magically impregnated by Lilith, thanks to tenants who secretly belong to the Darkhold Cult. It’s like a blend of ’30 Days of Night’ and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’.

Blade Has Lost Many Writer/Director Combos

Former X-Men '97 Writer Reveals Abandoned Blade Plans He Pitched to 'Broken' Marvel StudiosFormer X-Men '97 Writer Reveals Abandoned Blade Plans He Pitched to 'Broken' Marvel Studios

In recent Marvel history, the creation of the “Blade” movie has been particularly controversial. Originally slated for release already, the project was derailed when its initial script was deemed dull, leading to multiple changes in directors and writers. As a result, the film struggles to define its identity and the story it wants to convey.

At present, Mahershala Ali continues to be associated with playing the main character, Blade, but given the numerous alterations and troubles that the project has encountered, it’s understandable that there have been rumors suggesting he might leave multiple times. Initially intended as a PG-13 Marvel Cinematic Universe production, the film shifted to an R-rated movie last year. Despite this transition, progress on the film’s production remains minimal. However, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige shared some explanation for the delay in July, stating that:

Over the past several years, our focus has been on finding the perfect approach for producing that film, taking our time to ensure we create an authentic Blade production that truly meets our standards.

As a passionate movie enthusiast, it appears that the creative team behind Blade’s MCU introduction has been grappling with defining the tone and plot for quite some time now. Despite the occasional jabs from the original Blade star, Wesley Snipes, who recently reprised his role in Deadpool & Wolverine, it seems we’re all in agreement that taking the necessary time to get this film just right will ultimately be worth it in the end.

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2024-09-14 23:04