When it comes to the blockbuster success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there's a ton
of factors that have built the franchise into what it is today.
But it was the 1998 release of Blade, a gory action movie packed with leather coats and
thrilling set pieces, that first broke the comic movie mold in the nineties and showed
longtime readers and mainstream audiences alike that Marvel Comics could be cool.
But the 1998 release of Blade isn't the whole story; in fact, there's a lot you might not
know about your favorite bloodsucker-busting hero.
Here's the untold truth of Blade.
Tomb of Dracula
Blade was created by Gene Colan and Marv Wolfman in 1973 during their run on the Tomb of Dracula
series, which followed a group of characters tasked with killing the Lord of Vampires.
It wasn't just a horror comic, however; the series brought Dracula directly into the Marvel
Universe with crossovers and superpowered guest stars.
Readers eventually learned that Blade's real name was Eric Brooks, and that he had received
both his strength and his hatred for vampires from his mother, who was bitten by a vampire
while she was giving birth to him.
The event gave him immunity to vampirism, as well as a prolonged lifespan and fangs.
After Tomb of Dracula's final issue, Blade popped up now and again in the Marvel Universe
whenever a title needed a dose of horror.
Blade: The Movie
It was the release of Blade in 1998 that catapulted the character to new creative heights.
The movie reinvigorated the concept of a vampire-like vampire hunter, showcasing a character that
lived in the shadows, killing sleazy vampires in outlandish action sequences.
Although the movie was directed by Steve Norrington, producer and star Wesley Snipes deserves a
massive amount of credit for the character's stature in pop culture history.
Snipes would constantly adjust shots and ad-lib certain lines of dialogue or scenes that,
while costly, were always beneficial to the final cut.
Snipes even ad-libbed one of the most famous lines of the movie:
"Some motherf----ers always trying to iceskate uphill."
Blade 2
Blade was a smash success with an incredible idea for a planned sequel.
"And at the end of the film, Blade and Karen pick themselves up and there are hundreds
and hundreds of vampires out in the streets, and it's become planet of the vampires."
Norrington turned down the opportunity to direct the sequel, leaving the chair open
for Guillermo del Toro to step in for Blade II in 2002.
The film followed Blade as he was forced to team up with a group of specially trained
vampires to hunt a powerful mutant aberration of vampires called "Reapers."
The film turned out to be a success, but it's arguably most notable for featuring a murderer's
row of character actors who would go on to major acclaim, including Norman Reedus, Donnie
Yen, and Ron Perlman.
Critics were lukewarm, but the fans turned out in force, turning Blade from a one-off
hit into a genuine franchise.
Blade: Trinity
Blade II had moved the franchise forward, but Blade: Trinity went off the rails.
Directed by series writer David Goyer, it intended to bring in more of the classic elements
from the comics, like vampire detective Hannibal King and Dracula.
Unfortunately, by all accounts, it was a disaster for everyone involved.
Patton Oswalt recalled his time on the set with a series of stranger-than-fiction anecdotes
about Wesley Snipes.
"He would communicate with post-its that he would give to the director.
And each one, he would sign 'Blade.'"
For his part, Snipes found the situation so unpleasant that he filed a lawsuit against
Goyer, the producers, and New Line Cinema, citing, among other things, the 'juvenile
level of humor' in the screenplay as well as the increased focus on Blade's sidekicks.
Blade: Trinity ended up being the worst reviewed movie of the trilogy, and put a stake through
the heart of the franchise.
But as with any good vampire, Blade wouldn't stay dead for long.
[Intense music]
Blade TV
In 2006, Blade would return on the small screen in Spike TV's Blade: The Series.
Snipes was replaced by rapper Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones for the show, which continued
the events of the movies.
While the show's expanding mythology seemed intriguing, the series slowly hemorrhaged
viewers until the season finale — a slow bleed that seemed oddly fitting for the vampire
show.
Blade in the Marvel Universe
While the Blade television show spelled the end of the character's live action adaptations,
a new comic book was released less than a week after the show's final episode aired.
The series combined Blade's original comic book origin with his vastly more popular movie
personality.
This new version of Blade kneecapped Spider-Man, owed Wolverine a blood debt for saving his
life from a vampire years ago, and occasionally did odd jobs for S.H.I.E.L.D.
While the comic only lasted twelve issues, it did have one of the oddest team-ups in
Marvel history.
Dr. Doom kidnapped Blade to assist him in saving an innocent life from vampires.
The catch?
The victim was Dr. Doom's mother, a Romani sorceress who was attacked by vampires decades
ago... but was saved by Blade going back in time to save her.
Most importantly, the reasons Doom knew that it was specifically Blade who saved his mother
was that he had perfect recall, even as a fetus.
Gross.
Blade in Britain
Wesley Snipes' portrayal was so successful that it's easy to forget Blade was born and
raised in London in the original comics.
After the cancellation of the rebooted Blade comic, he appeared in the ensemble cast of
Captain Britain and MI13, which followed a group of British superheroes battling magical
threats.
While on the team, Blade started a romantic relationship with fellow team member Spitfire
— a vampire with superhuman speed who'd been fighting her bloodlust since World War
II.
Having two vampires on the team turned out to be a problem, though, when Dracula launched
an attack on Britain from his secret castle on the moon.
Blade and the rest of MI13 were able to repel Dracula's attack thanks to a captured Duke
of Hell, a mystical skull that kept vampires from invading Great Britain, and the mystical
sword of Excalibur.
No one ever said this stuff was easy.
Blade the Avenger
While Blade is most well known for fighting vampires, he's often found himself at odds
with a wide variety of immortal beasts and demons.
In The Mighty Avengers, this involved secretly rallying a team of heroes to fight the Deathwalkers,
four immortal rulers who each had dominion over one of the elements.
Intriguingly, this required Blade to adopt disguises so as not to alert the Deathwalkers
— first as Spider-Hero, the non copyright-infringing spider-themed hero of New York, and then as
Ronin, a catch-all ninja costume for superheroes who need to go incognito.
Don't worry, he eventually went back to his trademark outfit.
Return to television?
While Blade might not currently have a comic series, that doesn't mean Marvel's forgotten
about him.
In fact, there's a chance he might return sooner than later — specifically, in an
upcoming season of the ABC series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
A spokesperson for Marvel tweeted out about the 2018 season with the hashtag #Blade, leading
fans to speculate that the show would incorporate everyone's favorite vampire hunter.
Snipes even responded to tweets asking whether he would be willing to reprise his role for
Marvel, saying
"When anyone asks 'Who could be the next Blade?'
you already know there's only one Blade fam!"
Ball's in Marvel's court…
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