5 Years Later, Marvel’s Most Cursed Movie Is Proving Its Harshest Critics Right

You can never rush a good thing, but how long is too long to wait? It’s been about five years since Marvel Studios announced its most anticipated project, a reboot of .

This all sends a clear message: Ali clearly isn’t pleased with the progress on Blade, and he’s not interested in putting his career on hold while Marvel retools behind the scenes.

Ali wouldn’t be the first A-lister to grate against the Marvel machine. Elizabeth Olsen, aka the Scarlet Witch, has been surprisingly outspoken about her deals with Marvel. The actor’s initial contract included two starring roles and a cameo, which doesn’t sound too involved on paper. But scheduling conflicts forced her to turn down a part in The Lobster, the edgy indie romance directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

“It took me away from the physical ability to do certain jobs that I thought were more aligned with the things I enjoyed as an audience member,” Olsen told The New York Times about her Marvel commitments. “I had this job security, but I was losing these pieces that I felt were more part of my being. And the further I got away from that, the less I became considered for it.”

Then again, this might be a different scenario. A follow-up article in The Hollywood Reporter reveals that much of the behind-the-scenes issues facing Blade might actually be Ali’s fault. The article states:

Ali has, at times, exercised an inordinate amount of influence over the project, in a way few other actors have on Marvel movies. Part of it stems from Blade’s inception, which began when Ali called the studio after winning the Oscar for his work on Green Book and said he wanted to do Blade. Ali has envisioned Blade as his Black Panther, according to sources.

It’s possible the actor’s own sky-high ambitions are the main culprit behind Blade’s production woes. That’s not to say Ali’s career hasn’t taken a bit of a hit, but Marvel Studios and its iron-clad contracts may not be too blame.

The idea of Marvel holding its actors back has existed from the dawn of the MCU itself, and while there are definitely exceptions to that theory, it’s not easily debunked. Back when Marvel was something of an underdog, it felt like a lot of actors were doing the studio a favor. As Marvel grew in notoriety and began chasing prestige in earnest, it made more sense for high-profile actors like Benedict Cumberbatch and Brie Larson (then fresh off an Oscar win) to join its ranks. Now, the franchise is seemingly in the midst of a steep fall from grace. It’s not a sinking ship, but it’s not as appealing as it might have been five years ago.

Marvel will always need bankable names and brilliant actors, but as the industry pulls away from established franchises and embraces diverse, original storytelling anew, actors are probably better off without a Marvel contract weighing them down. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Ali made the decision to depart from Blade altogether. After five years of anticipation, it’d be a true disappointment — but it also doesn’t feel like a worthwhile investment anymore.