Marvel’s ‘Blade’ Reboot Recruits ‘True Detective’ Creator Nic Pizzolatto To Help With Script

After losing its original director and facing multiple rounds of revisions on the script, the “Blade” reboot from Marvel Studios seemingly still has some creative challenges to overcome. The Hollywood Reporter reports that “True Detective” creator/writer Nic Pizzolatto has been tapped by Marvel to help on the latest round of rewrites for the supernatural action-horror film.

READ MORE: Mia Goth Joining The MCU With Mystery Role In Marvel’s ‘Blade’ Reboot Movie

Of course, Pizzolatto and “Blade” star Mahershala Ali previously worked together on the third season of HBO’s acclaimed “True Detective” series, which, ironically enough, co-starred original “Blade” actor Stephen Dorff. Pizzolatto’s feature screenwriting credits include “Galveston,” “The Guilty,” and “The Magnificent Seven.” This addition to “Blade” would be at least the third writer to officially take a crack on the superhero reboot after previous drafts from Stacy Osei-Kuffour and a reset when Michael Starrbury apparently weren’t enough (Beau DeMayo also reportedly worked on rewrites). It’s said that Pizzolatto would be working on the Starrbury version of the script ahead of cameras rolling next month and has been involved for weeks now.

Ali was first announced as playing the new incarnation of Marvel’s Blade back at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, where it was revealed that he had approached the studio about playing Blade in a reboot. French filmmaker Yann Demange (“Lovecraft Country,” “White Boy Rick”) directs after replacing Bassam Tariq with a supporting cast that includes Delroy Lindo, Aaron Pierre, and newly added actress Mia Goth (“Pearl”). It’s also worth mentioning that Demange was an executive producer on Tariq’s acclaimed film “Mogul Mowgli.”

Our modern version of Blade exists thanks partly to writer David S. Goyer and actor Wesley Snipes working together collaboratively to develop a late ’90s take on the exploitation character from “The Tomb of Dracula” comics that ended up getting three feature films at New Line Cinema with Goyer taking the director’s chair on the infamously rough production of “Blade Trinity.” In the comics, Blade, aka Eric Brooks, is born a half-vampire with none of the weaknesses of other vampires, resistant to sunlight, silver, and garlic, but not the thirst for blood as he now hunts/kills them and is referred to as Daywalker by The Vampire Nation.

We’re also curious if “Blade” will actually begin filming in late May in Atlanta as planned or if the production will hold off again if this latest script polish doesn’t help matters. The film still has a release date of September 4, 2024, but given how many MCU films switch-up spots on the slate, it’s possible it could end up being moved around again.