Marvel Studios delays 'Blade' again, replaces 2025 release with 'Predator: Badlands'

Marvel's 'Blade' has been delayed, with Disney now scheduling 'Predator: Badlands' for November 2025 release.

In a move that surprises few, Marvel Studios has postponed the release of Blade, originally scheduled for November 7, 2025, with Disney now slotting Predator: Badlands from 20th Century Studios for that date. The reboot of Blade, starring two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, has faced numerous delays due to the global pandemic and industry strikes.

Production setbacks also include the departure of two directors, first Bassam Tariq in 2022, followed by Yann Demange. Blade will feature Mia Goth as the villain Lilith. Commenting on the delays, Goth recently told Deadline, “Marvel really cares; they want to make a great movie.”

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is committed to delivering the best Blade movie, emphasizing the need for a strong script before resuming production. Meanwhile, Wesley Snipes, who starred in the original Blade trilogy, recently made a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, which became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time with $1.3 billion globally.

Blade is recognized as one of the first R-rated superhero films, with the 1998 original and its sequels grossing $418.1 million worldwide. While Marvel fans await the Blade reboot, Predator: Badlands, directed by Dan Trachtenberg, will hit theaters in November 2025, starring Elle Fanning. This return to theaters marks Disney’s renewed focus on the big screen, following criticism that Prey, the previous Predator installment, was released directly on Hulu.