Mahershala Ali says he's finally "done" with Blade, but reveals that …

We’ll never know the full extent of what stopped Mahershala Ali’s Blade movie from ever seeing the light of day, but the silver lining is that Marvel Studios' failed vampire entry instead gave us the Oscar-winner’s new one, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, which has been a massive hit with critics. chickenroadslot.lat

In an interview with Deadline, Ali was asked just how much time he spent getting prepped to don the title of Daywalker and wield a sword like him, only for everything to turn to dust. "Oh, absolutely. For a year, yeah. A little more than a year. I'm actually really grateful. They helped pay for our movie, so thank you. I got to go train for a year, so at this point, I'm so grateful that they made a wonderful contribution to our film."

This contribution has certainly paid off, with the new movie from director Bassam Tariq (who was once set on helming Blade before leaving the project) sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. Their new action thriller from MGM Studios follows Latif (Ali), a religious hitman who is also a loyal and devoted father.

Unfortunately, these two worlds collide, forcing Latif to travel across Houston to try to keep his children safe and cutting down anyone who tries to stop him. Zachary Lee of The Wrap was blown away by the film, saying, "What Ali, Tariq and the collaborators have assembled feels not just like kismet but divinely ordained, as if this was the movie they were always meant to make."

Unfortunately, Ali has put a solid stake through any chance of returning to the MCU, with his only contribution being an off-screen appearance in Eternals and his likeness used in season 1 of Marvel Zombies. "I'm done. I'm doing this and anything moving forward," he confirmed. "I'm over that. I'm done with that."

There’s no question that Marvel Studios endured an array of blips trying to map out their universe in a post-Endgame era, but Blade always felt like the one that could’ve been so easily avoided. The signs were all there for a truly great addition to the MCU, and perhaps somewhere in the TVA offices, there’s a timeline where it actually worked out. Now, though, that particular comic book world is too focused on Doctor Doom and mutants making their appearance to make space for a vampire hunter.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother releases in theaters on September 25. For more, check out every other upcoming Marvel movie and show that we hope doesn’t go the way of Blade.

After critics tore apart Rebel Moon and Netflix canceled all plans to expand his Star Wars-like universe, Zack Snyder needed a win. Unfortunately, it sounds like his latest movie, The Last Photograph, isn't it. The new project he produced, co-wrote, and directed debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend, but critics have already labeled it as the "worst film in Zack's career."

Following his lengthy sci-fi endeavor with the new massive movies released on the streaming service to mixed reviews, The Last Photograph sees the director venture out of his comfort zone into what sounds like a more grounded tale. Stuart Martin (Army of Thieves) plays an ex-DEA agent on a search-and-rescue mission for his missing niece and nephew in South America, who teams up with a war photographer played by Fra Fee (Regent Balisarius from Rebel Moon Part One and Part Two).

If that sounds like a grueling and torturous tale, then you should see the reactions to it. Jason Gorber of @filmfest_ca said, "One of the worst [movies] to ever play this festival. APOCALYPSE NO. Just unabashedly shit on every level, an exercise in incompetence and hubris, and an embarrassment to have been screened." Matt Neglia @NextBestPicture agreed, "By the end, I genuinely wanted this to be the last film I ever have to see from him. Snyder desperately needs to stop shooting his own movies and return to adapting material strong enough to better withstand his worst overindulgences." @DawsBear also labeled it "An utter disgrace from start to finish. It is Snyder at his most unfiltered, with no studio intervention, and is the film's largest problem.”

Of course, not everyone is tearing apart The Last Photograph, and some lucky(?) viewers are backing the movie as a brave venture for the director. @HeyitsmeUzi declared, "Zack Snyder's 'THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH' was amazing. The story was awesome, the cinematography was stunning, and the action was badass. That opening scene, though - wow. Dude needs to direct the live-action Call of Duty movie." @federalia also echoed similar thoughts, praising the new movie with, "The Last Photograph gives a new meaning to what an action thriller should be. Zack Snyder's carefully crafted work dazzles with his own jaw-dropping cinematography. It's his most grounded and best film yet."

It might not be checking everyone's box, but one thing that remains consistent is Snyder being a divisive director, and The Last Photograph feels like cold, hard proof of that. With no release date in sight or streaming service linked to distributing the movie, we'll have to wait a while and judge for ourselves somewhere down the line.

In the meantime, check out our ranking of Zack Snyder movies, where you're guaranteed to find at least one good film to watch while you wait.