Delroy Lindo has always brought weight to every role he steps into. Whether he’s commanding the screen in Da 5 Bloods, stealing moments in The Harder They Fall, or lending gravitas to Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, his presence is undeniable. But in a recent conversation with Entertainment Weekly, the veteran actor got candid about two high-profile projects that, despite promise and potential, seem destined to remain shelved: Marvel’s Blade reboot and Prime Video’s Anansi Boys.
Let’s start with Blade.
READ: Delroy Lindo Talks Singing on Camera For First Time in ‘Sinners’ and Working with Ryan Coogler
Lindo was first announced to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2021 for its long-gestating Blade reboot starring Mahershala Ali. His role was never officially revealed, but now, years later and with the film still in limbo, Lindo has peeled back the curtain on what could’ve been.
“When Marvel came to me, they seemed really interested in my input,” he shared. “It was exciting, not just conceptually, but also because of the character I was going to play.”
That character? According to Lindo, the role had deep roots. “There was a Marcus Garvey-esque component to who this man was shaping up to be. Not a full-on Garvey-ite,” he clarified, “but someone whose ethos, philosophy, and purpose were grounded in Black community-building. He had formed a community—he led it. He was a man of vision.”
It’s a detail that paints a richer, more expansive version of what Blade could’ve explored—one that leaned into legacy, leadership, and liberation as much as vampire hunting. But that original version of the film may no longer be in play.
“For whatever reason, it just went off the rails,” Lindo said, reflecting on his departure from the film.
Since its announcement at Comic-Con in 2019, Marvel’s Blade has been through the wringer. [FOR FULL ‘BLADE’ BREAK DOWN, CLICK HERE] Still, Blade isn’t the only project he was attached to caught in creative purgatory.
The actor was also set to star as the trickster god Mr. Nancy in Anansi Boys, Amazon’s long-anticipated fantasy miniseries based on Neil Gaiman’s novel of the same name. The series, which co-stars Whoopi Goldberg, Fiona Shaw, CCH Pounder, Malachi Kirby, and L. Scott Caldwell, was completed and once aimed for a 2025 release. But after a damning New York Magazine cover story earlier this year detailing multiple sexual assault and misconduct allegations against Gaiman—including from a former nanny—everything changed.
“I don’t think that’ll ever see the light of day,” Lindo admitted. “It’s too bad on so many levels. I was really excited to do it.”
Amazon has not officially canceled Anansi Boys, but momentum has stalled. In the meantime, another Gaiman show, Good Omens, was quietly reduced to a single 90-minute episode for its third season. Gaiman has denied all allegations, but the chilling effect on his TV slate is apparent.
When asked what he’s taken away from these experiences, Lindo didn’t mince words.
“Don’t count your chickens, man… There are banana peels all over the landscape,” he said. “No matter how talented or experienced the team, things can slip—quickly. S— can happen. At any point.”
Still, Lindo remains focused. He’s front and center in Coogler’s genre-blending Sinners, which is still riding the high of its impressive Easter weekend debut. And while Blade and Anansi Boys may be stalled for now, Lindo’s artistry and legacy are anything but.
Sometimes, in this industry, the projects fall through. But the greats? They keep building.