Bassam Tariq Shares Insights on His Abandoned Marvel ‘Blade’ Movie

Marvel’s long-anticipated ‘Blade‘ reboot has turned into a cautionary tale within the studio’s otherwise well-managed production pipeline, experiencing multiple directors, writers, and release dates since its announcement in 2019. For filmmakers who have navigated this revolving door, the experience has clearly left a significant mark.

Bassam Tariq was one of those directors, initially brought on in 2021 to helm the vampire-hunter reboot featuring Mahershala Ali, only to exit the project in 2022 just weeks before production was set to commence. While promoting his new film ‘Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother,’ Tariq has finally opened up about how far along his version of ‘Blade’ progressed before it ultimately fell apart.

Tariq disclosed that he dedicated approximately a year and a half to the project, even relocating his family to Atlanta as pre-production gained momentum. He confirmed a detail that longtime fans had speculated about, revealing that his version of the film was partially set in the 1920s, a fact he shared in comments reported by TheWrap.

This period setting left an unexpected mark elsewhere in Hollywood. Tariq mentioned that costume designer Ruth Carter, who worked on his version of ‘Blade,’ later took some of the unused costumes with her when she moved on to design for Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners,’ providing fans with a tangible connection to what his interpretation of the character might have looked like.

Despite spending considerable time developing the project alongside Mahershala Ali, Tariq admitted that he never truly got to know the actor well during their collaboration, with their relationship only deepening after Tariq had exited the production. He also confirmed that he never shared the script for ‘Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother’ with Ali while they were still working on ‘Blade,’ keeping his next creative endeavor entirely separate from the Marvel project.

Reflecting on the overall experience of working within Marvel’s production framework, Tariq expressed feeling like a small part of a much larger machine. He stated, “The system was cool, and we were a part of it,” acknowledging that ultimately someone else was directing the larger operation regardless of his creative contributions.

Marvel officially announced Tariq’s departure from ‘Blade’ in September 2022, citing ongoing shifts in the production schedule rather than any specific creative disagreements. At that time, the studio acknowledged his contributions in getting the project to that stage, while Tariq expressed gratitude towards the cast and crew he had assembled.

Tariq’s exit led to a series of subsequent changes for ‘Blade,’ with Yann Demange stepping in as director and further alterations to the writing team following. The project has continued to evolve in the years since, highlighting the challenges Marvel has faced in establishing a consistent creative vision for the character’s long-awaited return to the screen.

Tariq’s insights provide a rare, candid glimpse behind the scenes of one of Marvel’s more publicly troubled productions, especially considering how tight-lipped most departing directors tend to be about their experiences on major franchise films. His willingness to discuss specific creative elements, from the 1920s setting to Ali’s casting, adds substantial depth to what has largely remained a mysterious chapter in the character’s cinematic history.

As ‘Blade’ continues its journey toward an eventual release under new creative leadership, Tariq’s reflections serve as an intriguing historical footnote to a production that has clearly taken a long and winding path. For fans eagerly awaiting Marvel’s vampire hunter to return to theaters, these details offer a small yet meaningful glimpse into what could have been.

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