Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has been candid about his feelings about the studio’s problems. Blade reboot, admitting that he feels like a “giant loser and failure” for not being able to get the film with Mahershala Ali off the ground.
Speaking with host Joshua Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused On the podcast, the 53-year-old film executive discussed the long-delayed Marvel Cinematic Universe project.
When jokingly asked how much time he had spent in therapy discussing the stalled vampire hunter film, Feige jokingly asked if they should start a therapy session, before offering an unusually honest assessment of the project’s status.
Feige admitted that while he was delighted to bring originals Blade Actor Wesley Snipes returns for a cameo in Deadpool and WolverineHis failure to bring Ali’s version to the big screen continues to weigh on him.
“I’m very excited that we got Wesley back for a while in Deadpool and Wolverine and like a gigantic loser and failure that we couldn’t get off the ground with Mahershala,” Feige confessed.
The frank admission highlights the rare public responsibility of the director of the world’s highest-grossing film franchise regarding one of his most notoriously delayed announcements.
He Blade The reboot was first revealed to much fanfare during Marvel’s presentation at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, when two-time Oscar winner Ali, now 52, made a surprise appearance on stage wearing a custom Blade cap.
The character had already been brought to life by Snipes, 63, in a popular film trilogy, including the 1998 film. Blade2002 Sword IIand 2004 Leaf: Trinity, before Snipes made his surprise return in 2024 Deadpool and Wolverinemarking his first shift as a daywalker in two decades.
However, Ali’s reboot was repeatedly derailed by behind-the-scenes problems, enduring multiple release date delays, a revolving door of directors and writers, and extensive story redevelopments.
Disney ultimately removed the film from its fall 2024 theatrical release schedule.
For his part, Ali remains eager to take office despite the lengthy delays.
talking to Variety In June 2025, the actor urged fans to tell Marvel that he was still ready to go.
Feige addressed the situation while on the promotional campaign for Marvel’s upcoming slate of blockbusters, which includes Spider-Man: New Daywhich hits theaters on July 31, followed by Avengers: Judgment Day five months later, on December 18.
