Marvel Already Has A Solution To Its Blade Movie Problems

Marvel Studios' Blade has unfortunately been delayed due to the search for a new director, despite the fact that the perfect solution to Marvel's problems has secretly been revealed in recent weeks. The search for a new director for Blade began when previous director Bassam Tariq departed the project due to scheduling issues. This, alongside the announcement that Beau DeMayo is writing a new script for the project, led many to believe that Blade would be delayed which Marvel Studios confirmed in October 2022, with the film being pushed from a November 2023 release to September 6th, 2024.

Despite the almost year-long delay, Marvel Studios will still aim to begin production on the film in the first half of 2023 should a new director be found, and the script is finished. However, Kevin Feige and his producing team need look no further than the recently released Marvel Studios Special Presentation Werewolf by Night for Blade's new director, with Michael Giacchino being a perfect solution to the latter's recent woes. Giacchino directed the recent TV special that introduced a more supernatural, horror/monster-based section of the MCU and proved his directorial skill could be perfectly applied to a Blade project.

Michael Giacchino Has Shown What Marvel Horror Can Look Like

Jack Russell revealed as Werewolf in Werewolf By Night

While Werewolf by Night was not the most terrifying film in comparison to modern horrors, and even some other MCU films, it was very similar in style and tone to old monster/horror movies of the 1930s/40s. In directing the film in a way that emulates the horror films of that era, going as far as to film in black and white, imitating reel changes, and implementing practical effects, Giacchino has more than proved his qualities as a director of horror. While Blade's horror would likely be very different, as it is much darker in tone and will likely be less campy than the 1930s style of horror and scares seen in Werewolf by Night, these skills Giacchino employed could very easily be transferred to Blade. It was clear from Werewolf by Night that Giacchino had a firm grip on how to establish a creepy, dark, horror-filled atmosphere with the composition of the shots, the actors, the performances, and his own musical score.

All of these attributes could be transferred to Blade, which would only be aided by the bigger budget that would come with an MCU feature film, and make Blade another notch in Michael Giacchino's Marvel-horror belt. Another element of Werewolf by Night that Giacchino has proven could be in a Marvel horror film is the action. The fight scenes in Werewolf by Night are very competently directed, including very long cuts in order to showcase excellent choreography and stunts. One scene in particular showcases this competency, and the power of the titular Werewolf by Night, by including some truly innovative camerawork as a long shot pushes down the hallway towards a closing door and slowly drains the light from the room as Jack Russell brutalizes the Bloodstone guards. Combined with the horror skills Giacchino possesses, these action sequences would be perfect for a Blade movie that should rightly be a 50/50 split between a Marvel superhero action film and a scary vampire monster movie.

Why Bassam Tariq Left Blade

While exploring why Giacchino would be a perfect option for Blade, however, it is worth looking into why the original director, Bassam Tariq, left the project. Tariq was confirmed to be the director of Blade in September 2021 with a script from Stacy Osei-Kuffour. However, Tariq's issues with the project began when Marvel Studios, and lead actor Mahershala Ali, were reportedly frustrated with the film's initial script as per a report by Jeff Sneider of The Ankler. This report came shortly after Tariq's departure from the project was announced. That being said, Marvel Studios remain adamant that Tariq's departure is not a result of the script rewrites, but the scheduling issues that arose from this. Beau DeMayo, who worked with Marvel on Moon Knight and X-Men '97, was hired to completely overhaul the script of Blade, with the rewrites causing a shift in scheduling that unfortunately meant Tariq could no longer stay on to direct the project.

It is likely that Marvel Studios, and the producers of Blade, were aware that DeMayo's rewriting of the script would take some time, and alerted Tariq to the almost guaranteed delay of the film. This likely meant that Tariq departed the projected due to the amount of time he would have to spend to fix the film, potentially causing scheduling conflicts with future projects. After all, Tariq had been officially signed on to the film for over a year at the point of his departure, with shooting unlikely to start for another six months to a year. All of this factors into why Tariq left Blade, potentially leaving the door open for Giacchino to come in as his replacement.

What Michael Giacchino's Blade Could Be Like

Michael Giacchino on Werewolf by Night Set

Michael Giacchino's Blade could, surprisingly enough, look similar in many ways to Werewolf by Night, with the two potentially setting up the MCU's Midnight Sons. Initially, as per reports on Stacy Osei-Kuffour's initial draft of Blade, the film was going to be a period piece set in the 1920s that explored Eric Brooks origins, with the comic character initially being born in that time period. According to these reports, the film was going to feature multiple time jumps, potentially going through the 1900s. While Beau DeMayo is being hired to completely rewrite the script, he will likely still include these elements should Marvel Studios be set on accurately depicting Blade's comic book origins. If this is the case, Giacchino has already proven what his version of Blade could look like by directing Werewolf by Night as an early-to-mid 1900s horror film.

If Giacchino were to direct Blade and the film was indeed split between the early 1900s and the present day, despite some calls for Blade to ignore the comics, Giacchino could use his directorial skills to give the film two distinct, yet connected, styles. The 1920s sections could be akin to what was seen in Werewolf by Night, maybe not to the same extent with the black and white cinematography and attempts to look like old film, but with a more historic look and style. Giacchino could then make the modern sections look like a more contemporary action-horror, utilizing his keen eye for action also seen in Werewolf by Night to have superheroic, yet scary, action sequences. This would allow Blade to be a perfect hybrid of historic and present-day action-horrors, as Michael Giacchino has proven beyond all doubt he is capable of with Marvel Studios' Werewolf by Night.

Next: How Eternals' Credits Scene Sets Up Blade's MCU Future