Mahershala Ali and director Bassam Tariq have finally brought their long-planned "Blade" collaboration to fruition, not through Marvel's shelved superhero film but via the independent feature "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother," which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday night ahead of its 25 September theatrical release. Tariq had originally been hired by Marvel in 2021 to direct Ali in "Blade," but stepped back from directing in 2022 amid delays, and Ali confirmed in July 2026 that the project had collapsed entirely; the martial arts and swordplay skills Ali trained for that role instead found an outlet in this new film.

The film casts Ali as Latif, a devout Muslim hitman who flees with his teenage daughter (played by newcomer Adia), young son and newborn baby after his wife's sudden death, evading both his employer and a gun-wielding anti-pornography cult leader played by John Cho. At a Q&A following the premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Ali and Adia praised each other's performances and the emotional intensity of shooting, while both credited stunt coordinator Adam Hart for choreographing the fight sequences within tight time constraints; Ali noted he trained during Ramadan and began filming once the fasting period ended.