Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has candidly expressed his feelings about the studio’s turmoil Blade reboot and admits he feels like a “huge loser and failure” for not getting the movie off the ground with Mahershala Ali.
Talking with host Joshua Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused podcast, the 53-year-old film executive opened up about the long-delayed Marvel Cinematic Universe project.
When jokingly asked how much time he’d spent in therapy discussing the stalled vampire slayer movie, Feige jokingly asked if they should start a therapy session before giving an unusually honest assessment of where the project stands.
Feige admitted as much while being excited about bringing the original Blade Actor Wesley Snipes returns to join in Deadpool and Wolverinehis inability to bring Ali’s version to the big screen continues to weigh on him.
“I’m very excited that we got Wesley back for some time Deadpool and Wolverine and like a giant loser and failure that we didn’t get off the ground with Mahershala,” Feige confessed.
The candid admission highlights rare public accountability from the head of the world’s top-grossing movie franchise regarding one of its most notoriously late announcements.
The Blade reboot was first revealed to massive fanfare during Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con presentation back in 2019, when two-time Oscar winner Ali, now 52, made a surprise appearance on stage wearing a custom Blade hood.
The character was previously brought to life by 63-year-old Snipes across a popular film trilogy that includes 1998’s BladeThe 2002s Blade IIand the 2004s Leaves: Trinity, before Snipes made his surprise return in the 2024s Deadpool and Wolverinethat marks his first trip as a daywalker in two decades.
However, Ali’s reboot was repeatedly derailed by behind-the-scenes issues, enduring multiple release date pushbacks, a revolving door of directors and screenwriters, and extensive story revamps.
Disney ultimately removed the film from its theatrical release calendar in the fall of 2024.
For his part, Ali has been eager to step into the role despite the lengthy delays.
speaks to Black in June 2025, the actor encouraged fans to tell Marvel that he was still ready to go.
Feige addressed the situation while on the promotional trail for Marvel’s upcoming blockbuster slate, including Spider-Man: Brand New Daywhich hits theaters on July 31 followed by Avengers: Doomsday five months later on December 18.
