‘Blade’ Trilogy Writer Baffled by MCU Reboot Issues: “It’s Not Complicated”

It’s hard to think of another Marvel Studios project that has struggled as much behind the scenes as the upcoming Blade film. First announced alongside several post-Endgame projects in July 2019, Blade has since had a revolving door of writers and directors, each leaving the project due to one creative difference or another. Filmmakers like Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange would come and go, with the release and production start dates changing in perpetuity. As of March 2025, development on the film has been paused, with no further updates regarding when it can be expected. Its place in the MCU timeline is now in jeopardy, especially as the event films Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars get closer with each passing day.

Now, screenwriter David S. Goyer has offered his two cents on the matter while speaking to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. Goyer is perhaps best known for his work on Christopher Nolan’s iconic Dark Knight trilogy, for which he is credited as the screenwriter on the first film, Batman Begins, and received a “story by” credit for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Before that, though, Goyer had been responsible for another superhero trilogy, as he had written all three and even directed the final film in Wesley Snipes’ Blade Trilogy.

When talking to Horowitz, Goyer would comment on the pre-production woes of Blade, saying that he “think[s] Blade is a relatively simple story, it’s not complicated.” While this might sound like it is easier said than done, Goyer already has a proven track record with the character.

“The promise of Blade is that it should have insane a–kicking, it should be pretty scary, might be R-rated, and it should not be complicated”.

However, while Goyer can state that he believes Blade isn’t complicated, the success rate of New Line Cinema’s trilogy varies. On the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, all three Blade films have a “rotten” rating, with the first two movies having received mixed to negative reviews. The first film has a 59% rating, while Guillermo Del Toro’s Blade II has a 57% rating; however, both films have more positive audience scores, at 78% and 68%, respectively.

Interestingly, out of the three films, it’s only the one that Goyer both wrote and directed, Blade: Trinity, that would end up receiving the lowest critical score and a rotten audience score as well, at 24% (critics) and 58% (audiences). So, while Goyer may say that the premise of a Blade film is uncomplicated, the writer and director doesn’t necessarily have the critical acclaim to back it up. Still, the New Line Cinema Blade trilogy was a financial success, proving that there was an audience for the story Goyer wanted to tell.

For now, Wesley Snipes’ Blade is the only big-screen adaptation of the character fans will be able to enjoy for the foreseeable future. Mahershala Ali’s Blade would have been an exciting and unique entry in the MCU, especially if Delroy Lindo’s comments about the project are anything to go by. As Marvel Studios continues to reexamine its creative output and process, there may still be hope for the vampire hunter.

Source: Happy Sad Confused