The Blade movie needs a new director! It’s been revealed that Marvel is looking for a new director to helm the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Blade movie. The film was going to be directed by Tariq Bassam, but it was revealed just the other day that he’s decided to leave the project. This was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter. They didn’t give a reason why he’s opted to leave, but it’s basically put Marvel back at square one on the movie.
The film was set to start filming in Atlanta this November, so his departure so close to the production’s start date is rather unusual. It seems as though Marvel is going to have to find a new director for this gig, and fast. The film is set to star Mahershala Ali as the titular character, and he’s going to be joined by Delroy Lindo and Old actor Aaron Pierre. Tariq is still going to be an executive producer on the project.
But, without any further ado, here are the 5 best directors to take on the Blade movie for Marvel. We will also be going over the 5 worst directors who should not touch this project, and we will explain why.
The 5 best directors to make the MCU Blade movie
Credit: Instagram: @darkmatterincorp
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Barry Jenkins
Credit: Getty
The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Barry Jenkins making a Blade movie is that it would be one of the most interesting and engrossing Marvel movies ever made. Jenkins and Mahershala Ali have worked together before on Moonlight, and the result was pure magic. I actually think that Ali has a lot of power on this production, and getting someone in like Jenkins whom he can trust would be vital for the project to succeed.
OK, so Jenkins hasn’t really made an action movie before. However, he’s starting to broaden his horizons and is already working on a pretty big movie for Disney which was announced at D23, Mufasa: The Lion King, which is a live-action prequel to Disney’s The Lion King. That might be taking up most of his time, so his schedule might be too busy for him to also make the Blade movie.
Jordan Peele
Credit: Getty
I think Jordan Peele is something of a genius. All of the movies he’s directed so far have been truly wonderful. Get Out, Us and Nope are all brilliant. He’s been working in the horror genre quite a bit, and I think this is exactly what a movie like Blade needs. It needs to be a horror film that’s also got a much larger underlying message. I think that Ali would be very keen on getting a director of Peele’s abilities to work on the project. I would imagine that Peele might also want to rewrite the movie’s script and make it his own. I really like that idea.
Regina King
Credit: AP
Regina King’s name was mentioned a lot when we were wondering who would be directing the Blade movie before it was revealed that Marvel had opted for Tariq Bassam. Well, I’m pretty certain that her name will be back in the fold now that Bassam has left the project. King has worked mainly as an actor so far in her career, but she’s been showing that she is also a talent behind the camera. She made a big splash with her feature directorial debut, One Night in Miami.
She’s definitely got the skills to pull off a great Blade movie, and I think that she and Mahershala Ali would work really well together. King is currently working on her next directorial project, Bitter Root. However, I’m sure she would delay that project to go and helm the Blade movie for Marvel.
Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah
Credit: Getty
I think everyone in Hollywood (apart from the leadership at Warner Bros Discovery) feels for Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. They were hard at work in post-production on what was going to be their next movie, Batgirl, before it was revealed that Warner Bros Discovery had decided to cancel the movie and claim money back on it as a tax-write off. This was an unprecedented in Hollywood, and filmmakers and other producers came out in support of the directorial duo.
Marvel Studios was one of the voices of support for El Arbi and Fallah when the news was announced. They have worked with Marvel in the past. They directed two episodes of the Ms. Marvel series on Disney Plus. It also seems as though Marvel does like to promote from within, and I think they would be an excellent choice of directors for the Blade film. They seem to enjoy working with Marvel, and the studio seems to like working with them.
F. Gary Gray
Credit: YouTube
I genuinely believe that F. Gary Gray is one of the most exciting and promising directors working in Hollywood today. Straight Outta Compton is a real gem of a movie, and he’s backed that up with some pretty solid Hollywood blockbusters. He made Fast & Furious 8, Men In Black: International and Law Abiding Citizen. OK, maybe Men In Black: International wasn’t great, but he’s shown a flair in his other movies that I think would be perfect for a Blade movie.
He’s got two other movies in development: Lift and M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand (which sounds pretty dope if you ask me). However, again, much like Regina King, I’m sure he would make the time to direct Mahershala Ali in a Blade movie for Marvel Studios. Don’t you?
The 5 worst directors to make the MCU Blade movie
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Michael Bay
Credit: Paramount Pictures
OK, now it’s onto the directors that I’m hoping Marvel Studios stays well away from directing the Blade movie. And, the first person on that list has to be Michael Bay. I’ve never understood why people like this director. In the past, I’ve called Bay an auteur of action movie rubbish, and I believe that is still the case. Yes, people seem to have fun watching his God-awful Transformers movies, and I actually have a soft spot for The Rock. But, all of his films are the same: bland, sexist and uninteresting to look at.
I also have a real aversion to the way he moves the camera. I really do not like his 360-degree shots. They make me feel woozy, and I would say that they are vomit-inducing. I hope that Marvel never hired Bay to direct anything for them.
Antoine Fuqua
Credit: Sony Pictures
I’m actually a fan of all of the other directors that are coming up next on this list. However, I feel like they would just be wrong for a Blade movie. Antoine Fuqua is one of those directors. I’ve enjoyed his movies. I liked the Equalizer movies, and I actually really enjoyed films like Olympus Has Fallen and Southpaw. However, I feel like his films, on the whole, are just a bit boring and predictable. I don’t think that he would bring anything really of interest to a Blade movie. Again, this is just my personal opinion, and you are free to disagree with it.
Chad Stahelski
Credit: Lionsgate
I actually love Chad Stahelski’s work. His John Wick movies are among some of my favourite action films of all time. He’s shown visual flair when it comes to his use of the camera, and I think there’s no one better in Hollywood when it comes to action movie choreography. His action films really do pack a punch. My only reservation with Stahelski is that I don’t think he would work very well with Ali. I feel that Ali is going to want a lot of control with this movie, and I’m not sure whether that would suit Stahelski.
I also think that Stahelski is just going to be way too busy to devote much time and effort to a Blade movie should Marvel opt to hire him. He’s currently working on John Wick: Chapter 4. He’s going to be following that up with Ghost of Tsushima, Highlander, Shibumi, Sandman Slim, Kill Or Be Killed (can’t wait for that one), and Classified. It would just be too much to add a Blade movie on top of all of that. I also want him to focus on the John Wick film he’s working on now (that’s the real reason why I don’t want Marvel to hire him for the Blade film).
Justin Lin
Credit: Universal Pictures
Do I have any issues with Justin Lin as a director? No, not really. I think he’s a perfectly serviceable director. He’s a safe pair of hands, and when it comes to action movie franchises such as Fast & Furious and Star Trek, I think he’s perfect. But, the very first MCU Blade movie needs something more. It needs someone with a unique vision and visual flair. It needs someone who understands horror and has shown that in his or her previous work. I actually haven’t seen any of that from Lin’s previous work
I’ve seen a lot of fast cars, a lot of explosions, and cool action set pieces, but nothing really more interesting than that. I don’t want to sound mean, but I don’t think Blade would be right for him, and I don’t think he would be right for Blade.
Robert Rodriguez
Credit: Open Road Films
This one was hard for me because I love Robert Rodriguez to bits, and I would definitely go and see a Marvel movie directed by him. However, I’m a bit worried about Rodriguez after having seen his episodes of The Book Of Boba Fett. I loved so many of his movies: Machette Kills, Alita: Battle Angel, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Faculty, and Planet Terror.., I even loved his Spy Kids movies and had fun with his Netflix film, We Can Be Heroes.
I actually think that if there’s anybody who understands Blade it would be Rodriguez. He’s shown in the past that he’s great at directing horror, and I think he would work well with Ali. But, I worry that he wouldn’t work too well within the Marvel Studios framework. I actually think that many of The Book Of Boba Fett’s issues were down to him not being able to work withing Lucasfilm’s rigid framework. There was just not enough of Rodriguez’s usual flair in those episodes, and that worried me.
What do you make of this feature? Are there any names that you think would be a better or worse fit for the Blade MCU movie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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