The wardrobe worn by background vampires in Ryan Coogler’s runaway horror hit “Sinners” began life on a very different set: Marvel Studios’ long-troubled “Blade” reboot. Producer Sev Ohanian disclosed that the indie production bought “a warehouse full of period-appropriate clothes” from Marvel at cost after the superhero project slipped back into limbo.
Ohanian said the outfits had been built under two-time Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter, who was attached to “Blade” during an earlier iteration set in the 1920s. When that version collapsed, Carter’s stockpile proved a lifeline for “Sinners,” which needed era-specific garments on short notice. He stressed that principal cast members received fresh designs while “a lot of the background actors” donned the repurposed pieces.
Marvel’s vampire thriller has endured a revolving door of writers and directors—losing Bassam Tariq in 2023 and Yann Demange in 2024—before Disney removed it from the release slate and placed the project on indefinite hold. Industry watchers such as original trilogy writer David S. Goyer have expressed frustration, calling the delay “baffling” and arguing that Blade’s premise should be straightforward to execute.
While Marvel retools, “Sinners” has filled the cultural space left vacant: the gothic thriller passed $200 million domestically within three months, making it the year’s most lucrative original film and a streaming draw for Max.
Sustainability advocates applaud the unexpected wardrobe swap. The film and television sector generates roughly 240 tons of waste per production, yet reuse efforts like this can slash disposal costs and landfill traffic, according to zero-waste consultancy EcoSet.
Ohanian, who also produces Marvel’s forthcoming series “Ironheart,” framed the deal as both pragmatic and environmentally sound—a rare instance of Hollywood’s franchise machinery aiding a smaller project rather than outcompeting it.
Marvel has not commented publicly on whether it will commission new costumes once “Blade” regains momentum, but studio insiders insist the property remains a priority. For now, its discarded capes and fedoras have found fresh life under a different moon. You can read Gazettely’s review of Sinners here.