With the recent announcement of Yann Demange as the new director of Blade (2024), original director Bassam Tariq responds by praising the hire.
Original Blade (2024) director Bassam Tariq praises the choice of Yann Demange to helm the MCU reboot. When Blade was announced as one of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 5, there was significant praise from fans everywhere. However, the internet was later shocked to learn that the film's director, Tariq, was stepping down due to scheduling conflicts, and the film's release date was pushed back as the search for a new filmmaker began. After two months, Marvel finally signed a new director Demange, along with a new writer, which later put the film on track for a 2024 release date.
With Demange's Blade hiring setting everyone at ease, Tariq takes to Instagram to voice his approval of the new choice. It turns out that both their careers are intertwined, with Tariq mentioning that Demange had a hand in getting his first feature film, Mogul Mowgli, finished and released. Demange joins the long list of lesser-known but creative filmmakers that Marvel employs to handle their big-budget film projects.
Why The New Blade Movie Is In Good Hands.
Blade made his cinematic debut in 1998 with Wesley Snipes in the lead role. The movie was followed by two sequels, the last of which was heavily criticized, even by the film's director and Snipes himself. A live-action television series was developed with rapper Sticky Fingaz in the role, but it was canceled after one season. Once the film rights reverted to Marvel, rumors circulated of a potential revival with the plan to integrate Snipes' Blade into the MCU. Instead, it was announced that Mahershala Ali would be stepping into the role and that a new iteration of the character would be introduced.
The fact that both Tariq and Demange have a history together makes the choice of replacement director all the more fortuitous. Their film resumes are small, so a win for one of them is a win for both filmmakers. In the past, when Marvel replaced directors in the Movie; Ant-Man and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there remained a sense of creative dissonance, as if something got lost in the shuffle. Demange's past work with Tariq implies that both filmmakers share similar interests and hints that the new Blade will carry over most of the ideas that were initially going to be implemented.
While it is great for Tariq to approve of Demange's role, he still needs to prove himself by delivering on Blade. The film is still a long way off and anything can happen in that time. The blade is one of the more popular Marvel characters, and Demange has a heavy burden to carry, especially with celebrated actor Ali portraying him. There has yet to be any concrete information on the plot or characters that are to be featured in the film, but it can be assured that the new director will deliver something entertaining for audiences.
