Not cancelled.
MCU Blade Rumors Says the Movie May Be Scrapped (but That May Not Be the End)
The latest rumors about the MCU's Blade reboot suggest the film has been scrapped for now, but the character could appear in another project.comicbook.com
Blade is going to get a movie and will show up in other projects. So the character isn't cancelled in my opinion. Cancelling whatever this version was supposed to be would make sense. So from a standpoint of this particular film, it would be smart to cancel it and just start fresh at a later date.
And Snipes just reprised his version in Deadpool and Wolverine at the age of 62. So I don't think age is really a factor here anymore.
Age is only a number. If Tom Cruise is still doing action movies at 62, then Ali can certainly still play Blade at 51.
To anyone in their 20's, Tom Cruise looks - and is - old. Everyone in their 50's and 60's playing their former roles in the Deadpool movie looks old. Blade is not supposed to age quickly. They need an actor in his 30's who can play into his 40's without looking significantly different. Ali is 51 NOW. If they don't film this for another four years, he'll be 55. By the time a sequel comes around he'll be 60. And they'll need to reboot. With a younger actor. It's pointless casting at this stage if they want to start a franchise.
The way deaging technology has progressed and continues to be improved has allowed them to have any actor of any age play a younger version of the character if needed. So again I say age is only a number.
Why on earth would a company spend money to de-age a middle-aged actor when they could simply cast a younger one? That's just burning money.
Again, why would a company start an action franchise with a 55 year old - by the time this eventually gets started - when they could cast a 35 or 38 year old?
I'm not saying they would, I'm just saying that its possible now with tech to hire an older actor of any age and have them play younger.
Its not like Ali was young when they announced his casting, he was already 45 but still looked to be in his 30s and in many ways still does while in his 50s. So it was always going to get to a point where they would have had to accept he was getting and looking older and adjust the story accordingly. So he was already going to be in his 50s by the time the first movie released and any sequel was planned, based on when it was announced in 2019.Again, why would a company start an action franchise with a 55 year old - by the time this eventually gets started - when they could cast a 35 or 38 year old?
I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm saying it would be a poor financial choice. Then again, the way Disney and Marvel are burning money these days on failing films...
Unless you've heard a rumor (in which case I'd like to see its source), Ali is still cast in the role. So until otherwise announced we shouldn't just assume they aren't sticking with him for now.But they're still not going to start a new Blade franchise with a dude in his 50's. Unless that dude is the mentor, not the daywalker.
And as I previously noted, that's IMO not gonna happen. It's just not practical business. I think they'll throw him a bone and give him the mentor role. Or he'll just bow out gracefully in a year or two when this series *with him* is clearly not happening and they'll give him producer credit as a thank you as they make the next Blade film with an actor who hasn't even broken out yet.
Ok possible.
www.muscleandfitness.com
He was 46 when the movie was announced. Still likely too old for the role then, but definitely now.
I'm not saying there aren't people in great shape in middle age. I'm just saying they're not casting them to *start* a new action franchise aimed at attracting an audience younger than 50.10 Badass Actors Over 50 - Muscle & Fitness
In 2019 people are more health-conscious and fitness focused than ever before, and the following list of badass actors over fifty shows that action stars can age well and still kick in middle age.
I'm aware of how old he was (I posted it previously), as he and I are around the same age.
I never said there was an issue with casting a 51 year old in an action film. I said that Marvel is not going to start a new action franchise starring a guy in his 50's.It should also be noted that Ali is starring in this summers Jurassic World Rebirth, which rumors have suggested that its the first installment in a new trilogy for the franchise. So obviously Uni doesn't have an issue casting a 51 yr old in an action film.
See we can agree on things.