Marvel’s Blade Now in Sharper Focus Than Shang-Chi 2

A lot of Marvel projects that were announced have seemingly been stuck in limbo due to various reasons, the most significant being the Jonathan Majors's legal troubles that caused the removal of the entire Kang The Conqueror storyline. Multiple projects are in limbo. That’s exactly where we seem to be with Shang-Chi 2, a sequel that was officially announced back in 2021 but hasn’t shown any real movement since. It’s a strange feeling, considering the first Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was such a refreshing hit in 2021. Simu Liu’s performance, the unique martial arts choreography, the mythical Ten Rings mythology, and the heartfelt exploration of Asian family dynamics brought something different to the MCU. Yet here we are in 2025, with no start date, no official title, and no confirmed release window for the sequel. And meanwhile, Blade—a film that has been on life support for what feels like ages—is back in the conversation, suddenly looking more “alive” than Shang-Chi 2.

There’s no doubt that Marvel has been going through a transition phase. Post-Endgame, the studio expanded its TV slate, dropped some projects and raised up Doom, the new Big Bad villain, and tried to build up Phase 4 and 5 in the shadow of multiversal chaos. But too much too fast led to uneven quality, fatigue among even the most loyal fans, and a slate that is considered by fans to be mostly movies/series of Marvel Comics B-listers and C-listers. To be fair, even the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most bankable star character, Iron Man was a B-Lister before 2008.

Somewhere in that shuffle, both Shang-Chi 2 and Blade were announced as essential pillars of the post-Infinity Saga era. Yet while Blade faced production problems—losing directors, going through multiple scripts, and bouncing around release dates—it seems to have held Marvel’s attention long enough to remain on their active priority list. On the other hand, Shang-Chi’s sequel has quietly faded into the background, despite not having the same kind of turmoil.

Simu Liu has reassured fans multiple times that the sequel is still happening, even while admitting he’s in the dark about when it might actually begin production. According to him, a lot of the delay stems from the constant shuffling around of the Avengers movies, which were supposed to provide a launchpad for Shang-Chi’s next chapter. If the sequel was meant to bridge narrative threads leading into or following Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, then every delay to that film directly impacts Shang-Chi 2. It’s a domino effect, and it makes sense. But the longer the delay stretches, the harder it is to shake the feeling that Marvel is putting Shang-Chi on the back burner.

Meanwhile, Blade—arguably the more troubled project—has kept its foot in the door. Mahershala Ali’s casting announcement back in 2019 generated massive buzz, especially among fans of the original Wesley Snipes trilogy. Since then, though, the Blade reboot has faced every production issue you can think of: shifting tones, lost directors, underwhelming script drafts, and even rumors that Ali himself was frustrated with how things were going. But just this month, Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirmed the project is still very much alive. In fact, it’s going through rewrites again with Eric Pearson (who has credits on Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four), and Marvel is committed to making it a modern-day story rather than a period piece, which had been considered in earlier drafts.

So we have a strange situation now. Blade, a project that has essentially been rebooted multiple times before even hitting production, is the one with clearer signs of life. It might not have a release date, and it’s no longer on the 2025 slate, but Marvel is actively working on the script and has a star still publicly backing the film. Shang-Chi 2, on the other hand, feels like it’s just waiting for the rest of the MCU to stabilize before it can move forward. Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed the first film, is still reportedly on board. He even stepped away from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to focus on Shang-Chi’s sequel, which should be a good sign. But there’s no indication the cameras will roll anytime soon. Not even a teaser image, or a Comic-Con whisper.

From a fan’s perspective, this contrast is a bit disheartening. The MCU has always been about momentum—introduce, build, evolve, pay off. With Shang-Chi, Marvel had a rare opportunity: a new hero who was immediately beloved, a standalone film that worked on its own and tied in neatly with future threads like the Ten Rings and mysterious beacon post-credit scene. You’d expect that to be a fast track for a sequel, especially when other characters like Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel got their follow-ups relatively quickly. But the current Marvel strategy seems more about rebuilding their foundation after some shaky years. The delays aren't just about one movie; they're a reflection of Marvel figuring out what kind of studio it wants to be post-Endgame, post-Secret Invasion, and amid changing audience expectations.

It’s not like Marvel is dropping Shang-Chi altogether. By all accounts, they still see him as a central character moving forward. There are even fan theories that his Ten Rings may connect to Kang variants, or that he might appear in upcoming ensemble films before his own sequel lands. But Blade’s continued presence on the “active” list makes the silence around Shang-Chi even more noticeable. Maybe it’s just about timing. Maybe Blade, having been through so many false starts, is finally being prioritized to prove that Marvel can still launch new (or reimagined) franchises successfully. Maybe Marvel feels they owe that one to the fans who’ve waited years for a proper return of the Daywalker.

Whatever the reason, it's a strange crossroads. A confident and successful debut film like Shang-Chi shouldn’t be lingering this long without visible progress. But until we get more official news, it seems the return of Blade might actually beat Shang-Chi back to the big screen.