Marvel India reveals Blade release date before it had been officially announced, see MCU Phase IV release dates here

Disney India on Tuesday announced its upcoming slate, including Marvel movies and the long-awaited sequel to James Cameron's Avatar. But one thing stood out: both the official press release and the accompanying tweet posted by Marvel India revealed that the upcoming Blade reboot is slated for an October 7, 2022 release. This information hadn't been previously announced. 

Starring Oscar winner Mahershala Ali and directed by Bassam Tariq, the new Blade film will introduce the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There is always a possibility of a cameo in an earlier movie, of course. Blade was previously played in three films by Wesley Snipes, prior to the MCU era. 

Bassam Tariq is the sixth person of colour to direct a movie for Marvel, joining Ryan Coogler, Chloé Zhao, Destin Cretton, Taika Waititi and Nia DaCosta, as the studio makes efforts to diversify both in front of and behind the camera.

Here's the full slate:

The Last Duel – 22nd October
Ron’s Gone Wrong – 29th October
Eternals – 5th November
Encanto – 26th November
West Side Story – 10th December
The King’s Man – 24th December

2022

Death on the Nile – 11th February
Turning Red - 11th March
Doctor Strange: Multiverse Of Madness - 25th March
Thor: Love and Thunder - 6th May
Lightyear -17th June
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - 8th July
Blade - 7th October
The Marvels - 11th November
Sequel to Avatar - 16th December

"Disney has always been at the forefront of innovative and immersive storytelling and we continue to stay committed to bringing unique stories that will entertain audiences across the country. In the coming months we will have an exciting slate that includes many Super Hero spectacles ushering in the new phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting with the release of Eternals this Diwali. Cinema has always been a key medium that brings people together for memorable experiences, and we are looking forward to creating magic on the big screen once again with our diverse and exciting content,” said Bikram Duggal, Vice President and Head of Studios, Star & Disney India.

Also read: Sooryavanshi vs Eternals: Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer to clash with Marvel film on Diwali

The slate announcement also confirms that Eternals, which has been slated for a Diwali release in India for several weeks, will not budge, despite rumours that Akshay Kumar's long-delayed Sooryavanshi has staked claim on theatres and showtimes.