Was This the MCU’s Way of Announcing ‘Blade’ Is Canceled?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Blade reboot has faced significant delays and production issues since its announcement. Now many viewers are curious if a cryptic statement about Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine is the MCU’s way of subtly confirming the project’s cancelation.

Blade is supposed to be a part of the MCU’s Phase Six, with a tentative release date of November 7, 2025. It isn’t the first time the Marvel superhero has appeared on the big screen. Wesley Snipes famously took on the role of Blade in the Blade trilogy, which ran from 1998–2004, and the new movie is set to be a reboot of Blade set in the MCU continuity.

Kevin Feige officially confirmed the film in 2019, revealing Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali would portray the titular hero. While Snipes was iconic as Blade, few could think of a more fitting successor than Ali. Unfortunately, Ali’s casting confirmation and voice cameo in Eternals are some of the only positive updates Blade has received in the past five years.

Blade initially eyed a release date of 2023 before being pushed all the way back to the end of 2025. On top of that, both directors attached to the project, Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange, have quit over creative differences. So, although production was rumored to start later this year, the movie is still searching for a director and finalizing the scripts. Given the chaos surrounding the project, many are curious if there was a deeper meaning behind one Blade reference in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Did Deadpool & Wolverine confirm Blade‘s status?

Deadpool & Wolverine recently premiered and, as a multiverse movie, it included some incredible cameos. Arguably, the biggest and most unexpected cameo was Snipes, reprising his role as Blade for the first time in 20 years. In the movie, he portrays a variant of Blade, who was banished to The Void by the TVA. However, he and a few other heroes eventually agree to help Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) get back home by launching an attack on Cassandra Nova’s (Emma Corrin) base.

Given the meta premise of the movie, there are references to Marvel superheroes with multiple actors, such as The Punisher. This prompts Blade to say, “There’s only been one Blade. There will only ever be one Blade.” On the surface, it sounds like a joke, as this variant of Blade doesn’t seem aware that there might be a new Blade in the future. After all, Deadpool shares a look with the camera after Blade’s statement as if to say, “Who’s gonna tell him?”

However, given the problems Blade‘s production has experienced, could the movie have been trying to say something else? Over the years, many have expressed incredulity that the MCU is finding it so hard to make Blade, even though it has a fantastic lead and an R-rating, which is all one really needs for a good vampire hunter movie. The inexplicable troubles have led many to fear that the movie isn’t going to happen. It’s not that far-fetched to wonder if Deadpool & Wolverine confirmed Marvel can’t actually make a Blade movie, and Snipes really will be the only Blade.

As of now, there’s no confirmation that Blade is officially canceled, but there is one incident that adds weight to the cancelation theory. San Diego Comic-Con occurred over the weekend, with a major Marvel panel offering exciting announcements for other 2025 MCU projects, such as Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, there weren’t any special Blade announcements—no title reveals, release date updates, or cast confirmations. In fact, Blade didn’t so much as receive a single mention during the entire event. Instead, Kevin Feige skipped over the movie, choosing instead to talk about the two Avengers movies slated to release after Blade.

The noticeable silence surrounding Blade at SDCC, combined with Snipes’ cryptic statement in Deadpool & Wolverine, isn’t an official confirmation that the MCU has closed the door on the movie, but it certainly is suspicious.