Chad Stahelski Should Postpone John Wick 5 For Blade

Marvel’s long-awaited Blade movie finally has a director. According to Jeff Sneider’s The InSneider, potential showrunner Cary Fukunaga was dropped from the film following speculative reports that he’s “famously” difficult. Marvel has now supposedly onboarded John Wick director Chad Stahelski, also per The InSneider. Stahelski’s fine-tuned choreography would be interesting if applied to Blade and his sword, as the hand-to-hand combat within John Wick’s bullet hell action is among the best in American action cinema.

While John Wick 5 is a hotly anticipated confirmed sequel, there’s no certainty when it will happen. Regardless, John Wick could definitely simmer a little bit for a triumphant return in a few years if it means fans will at last get to see Blade on the silver screen once again. After all, we’ll get more of Reeves’ Wick in this year’s From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. Blade has been in development hell for an eternity, and it’s time to strike while the Stahelski iron is still hot. Fans of both franchises would likely excuse a surplus John Wick installment for a fresh, sharp Blade film.

Related

Henry Cavill’s Highlander Reboot Gets A Ton of Story Updates From Director Chad Stahelski

John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski gives some exciting story details about his upcoming Highlander film with Henry Cavill.

Blade’s Vampirically Long Development Cycle

It’s a wonder how an IP so ripe with potential can be so fraught with difficulty. Now that Stahelski’s been attached to the film, it seems in retrospect that the move was always an obvious one. ‘John Wick with Vampires’ is a ticket that fans of both franchises would likely punch without hesitation. The reported move to Stahelski is clearly a great one, so why has the rest of the production been so challenging for Marvel Boss Kevin Feige and company thus far?

In 2019, Blade was announced, with Mahershala Ali tapped to star as the titular character. The film was initially planned to shoot in November 2022, with a release set for November 2023. Two directors exited the film before Fukunaga was speculatively attached: in Ghosts of Sugar Lands‘ Bassam Tariq and White Boy Rick‘s Yahn Demange.

Neither director is necessarily known for their prowess in the action-movie space, so it’s a bit confusing as to why they were involved in the first place. The most logical answer is that Marvel sought an affordable director who would take studio notes and churn out a product in line with the rest of the brand. Considering it has taken nearly six years for Marvel to realize it needed a suitable creative talent to produce a quality product, the wait could be justified with Stahelski at the helm.

Chad Stahelski’s Been A Very, Very Busy Boy

With Stahelski’s apparent Midas touch, given the critical and box-office successes of every film he’s directed so far, it comes as no surprise that he’s in high demand at the moment. This may cause him to be unavailable for a little while, further delaying Blade’s production. If Marvel is smart, though—and it seems they’re getting their wits back—they’ll allow Stahelski’s schedule to clear up and take all the time he needs for it to do so. However, he could stand to move a couple of things around to make way for the type of opportunity a Blade film presents.

Stahelski is currently attached to ten upcoming films as director on IMDB, and none of those are John Wick 5, although he is expected to direct it. Stahelski is famously possessive over the franchise, and rightfully so, even reportedly stepping in to rescue John Wick: Ballerina after the film’s poor previewing with Lionsgate. “We didn’t just work the last 10 years to see it all go to s**t,” Stahelski said to The Hollywood Reporter, referring to his maintenance of quality control over the series.

In the same interview, he said he would understandably return for John Wick 5, given there’s a compelling story to tell within it. The John Wick franchise has earned over $1 billion at the global box office, with each film earning considerably more than the last. John Wick 4 (2023) earned a handsome $425 million, which is a sizable jump from John Wick 3‘s $327 million in 2019. It’s safe to assume the next numbered iteration of the series will bring in even more, though that prospect could possibly be jeopardized by Ballerina if the Ana de Armas-led film disappoints.

Blade Over John Wick Is A Sharp Choice

Lionsgate is surely privy to the franchise’s cash cow potential, especially after last year’s studio flops, including The Crow, Borderlands, and Megalopolis. They’re likely seeking a sure path to success in the near future, which would include working out a John Wick sequel script worthy of Stahelski’s attention. Blade would be a great opportunity for Stahelski to branch out from John Wick, even among all of his other prospective projects.

Marvel is set up to see a return to form of sorts with this year’s Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four films, especially after the mega-hype generated by Avengers: Doomsday‘s marathon cast reveal. Stahelski could jump onboard the ascending vessel at just the right time to establish himself as a Marvel renaissance man in addition to being a general action movie aficionado.

John Wick

Created by

Derek Kolstad

TV Show(s)

The Continental