On the 55th NAACP Image Awards red carpet, Aaron Pierre shared the news about his departure from the ‘Blade’ cast during a chat with the magazine:
“Early on, there were conversations. As the project evolved, I’m no longer part of that—attached.”
The actor was set to appear alongside Mahershala Ali, who is taking over the role of the famed vampire hunter from Wesley Snipes. Although the details of Pierre’s role were never made public, he was reported to be chosen after a detailed casting process.
So far, Marvel has confirmed Ali as the star of the film, without giving away much about other cast members.
The Actor Has Other Works In Line
Meanwhile, Pierre’s looking forward to his part in other projects that are set to release soon. He told Variety:
“But there are a number of things that I’m tremendously excited about. ‘Rebel Ridge’ with Jeremy Saulnier. And ‘The Lion King’ prequel with Barry Jenkins. All things that are coming out this year that myself and the team are deeply excited about and can’t wait to share with the world—and have people engage with it and experience it in whatever way they feel fit.”
The actor’s exit isn’t the first hiccup for the ‘Blade’ film, which has seen a rocky path in its development stage, including changes in its director and writing team since July 2021.
The Film’s Production Hasn’t Been Smooth
Initially, Bassam Tariq was set to direct the Marvel movie, with Stacy Osei-Kuffour writing the script. Both exited the project two months before the start of production. This led to Yann Demange taking over as director and Michael Green as the screenwriter.
Ali remains hopeful about the project’s progress, telling Entertainment Weekly in December 2023:
“We’re working on it. That’s the best I could tell you. I’m really encouraged with the direction of the project. We’ll be back at it relatively soon. I’m sincerely encouraged in terms of where things are at and who’s on board and who’s leading the way as far as the writing of the script and the directing and all that. So that’s the extent of what I can tell you.”
‘Blade’ is scheduled for release on November 7, 2025, following ‘Thunderbolts’ in May 2025 and ‘The Fantastic Four’ in July 2025.
