Marvel’s new project Blade, starring Mahershala Ali, will pause production. Director Bassim Tariq will no longer be on board for the project. Marvel has decided to temporarily shut down film production, which was scheduled to start in Atlanta in November of this year.

Production plans to start back up in early 2023 and will have a new release date, of September 6, 2024.  Due to the delay in finding a new director, the release date has been pushed back, shifting the entire marvel timeline. 

Sources report that the Marvel team has struggled to find a new director, and did not expect the process to take this long. They have currently been searching for a new director for two weeks. Because of the delay, fans can expect the Marvel timeline to shift and for other movie release dates to be affected. 

Comicbook.com confirmed that new writers have also joined the project for rewrites. 

Marvel released a statement that notes Tariq’s exit and announces he will  “remain an executive producer on the film”. They also state they “appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is”.

Tariq added he is “eager” to find out the direction the new director leads the franchise in.