Actor Mahershala Ali has said Marvel Studios, rather than himself, was responsible for the long-gestating MCU reboot of Blade failing to move forward, telling interviewers "If they wanted to do the movie, we would've done the movie." His comments push back on the idea that he lost interest in or walked away from the project, instead pointing to the studio's own indecision as the reason the vampire-hunter film never got made.

The Blade reboot had been in development at Marvel Studios for several years, cycling through different directors and repeated release date delays before ultimately being dropped from the studio's upcoming slate. Ali's remarks suggest he remained willing and available to make the film throughout that process, placing responsibility for its collapse squarely on Marvel's decision-making rather than any change of heart on his part.