Actor Delroy Lindo Speaks On Decision To Exit Marvel’s Delayed ‘Blade’ Remake: ‘It Just Went Off The Rails’

Actor Delroy Lindo Speaks On Decision To Exit Marvel’s Delayed ‘Blade’ Remake: ‘It Just Went
Off The Rails’

Delroy Lindo is speaking out about why he stepped away from Marvel’s long-delayed Blade reboot starring Mahershala Ali.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly while promoting his new film Sinners, Lindo revealed that creative differences were at the core of his decision to exit the vampire reboot.

 

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He stated:

“When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input….And in the various conversations I had with producers, the writer, the director at the time, it was all leading into being very inclusive. It was really exciting conceptually, but it was also exciting in terms of the character that was going to form. And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails.”

Lindo, who was tapped for the role back in 2021, explained that the character he was supposed to portray had a strong Marcus Garvey type philosophical grounding — much like his role in Sinners — but over time, the vision began to shift in a direction that no longer aligned with what he originally signed up for. He explained:

“I’m not saying that it would’ve been an out-and-out Garvey-ite. Not that, but just in terms of how this man’s philosophy, his ethos and what was driving him. He was a character who had, very similar to Sinners, created a community, a Black community.”

The highly anticipated Blade remake was first announced in 2019, with two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali stepping into the role made iconic by Wesley Snipes.

But since then, the project has hit repeated setbacks — including pandemic delays, industry strikes, and the departure of multiple directors (Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange among them).

Marvel eventually pulled Blade from its 2025 release calendar, fueling speculation about the film’s future. Despite this, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige insists the film will happen and that the studio remains “committed” to Ali’s version of the character.

Do you think Marvel’s Blade will ever actually make it to the big screen? Or has the ship sailed?

??: Kay Johnson