Blade was a game-changer for superhero cinema, in many ways laying the foundation for what would become one of the most important genres in modern Hollywood. The original 1998 film starring Wesley Snipes as the titular Daywalker embraced the best parts of the comics, drawing on elements of horror and epic action while retaining hints of Marvel’s signature humor. It all worked together perfectly to make Blade the biggest surprise hit in Marvel cinema history, giving the company the confidence to pursue other film projects like Spiderman And X-Men. All of this led to the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the greatest franchise of all time.
BladeThe success of led to a trilogy of films that expanded on the story of the original 1998 film. The film also launched Blade’s popularity, keeping the character in the cultural zeitgeist long enough for Marvel to bring Snipes’ character back for an appearance in Deadpool and Wolverine. There are also plans to reboot the character in the MCU with Mahershala Ali reprising the role. However, even the most die-hard Marvel fans may not be familiar with one of the most underrated films. Blade sequels, which expanded the franchise’s lore significantly.
Blade: the series fleshes out the world of vampires in a major way
Two years after Wesley Snipes’ film franchise ended in 2004, Blade: the series expanded the trilogy’s story in new and exciting directions. The series was created by David S. Goyer, who has become a staple of superhero cinema thanks to his work on iconic projects like The Black Knight trilogy, Man of Steeland the original Blade movies. Set after the events of Blade: Trinitythe series (which is sometimes marketed under the name Blade: House of Chthon) replaced Wesley Snipes with actor Kirk Jones (aka “Sticky Fingaz”). Although it technically takes place in the same universe as the original Blade movies, House of Chthon is a standalone adventure that ignores many events in Trinity. The storyline introduces a new character in Jill Wagner’s Krista Starr, an Iraq War veteran who is turned into a vampire by the villainous Marcus (Neil Jackson), a prominent member of House Chthon. She is eventually recruited by the vampire hunter Blade to act as a double agent in an undercover operation that will hopefully bring down Marcus and all of House Chthon for good.
Blade: the series may not have become the cultural phenomenon that the films did, but it included several intriguing plot points that will appeal to fans of the original franchise. More specifically, the series looked into the deep history of Bladeincluding the growing divide between the “pure bloods” and the “transformed”. Purebloods, born, untransformed vampires, are revealed to be the ruling class of vampire society, lording their power over transformed humans, who became vampires when bitten or injected with the blood of another vampire.
During the events of the first season, Blade uncovers a plot by Marcus to wipe out all purebloods with a virus that specifically targets their unique genetic makeup. In the season finale, Marcus finally releases the virus, which appears to wipe out the purebloods, leaving only the transformed humans to rule over the vampires. This is a major power move in the world of Bladecompletely rewriting vampire lore and sending the franchise down a new path that had never been explored before. With this twist, Blade: the series attempted to up the ante from the original film trilogy in hopes of winning over fans. Unfortunately, the ramifications of this plot point never got a chance to play out in a second season.
Why was Blade: The Series canceled?
Unfortunately, Blade: the series was canceled in 2006 after just one season. Spike TV has never given an official reason why the series was not picked up for a second season, but the decision could have depended on several factors. First and foremost, Blade: the series wasn’t the ratings juggernaut the network was likely hoping for when adapting a popular Marvel property. Despite a strong premiere, the series gradually declined in viewership throughout its first season. A second season probably wouldn’t have improved these numbers, giving the series a limited lifespan anyway. Additionally, the show was incredibly expensive to make. The fast-paced action scenes and high-level storylines meant that Blade: the series costs more than the average TV series. To continue the adventures of Blade and his supporting cast, Spike TV would have had to invest more money than the series likely would have made, making it an easy financial decision to cancel it after just one season. The season 1 finale marks the last time audiences see this version of Blade, with his adventures coming to an abrupt end thereafter.
Despite its early cancellation, Blade: the series deserves re-evaluation now, almost twenty years after its creation. The series has its flaws, but it’s a surprisingly fun adventure if viewers stick with it. The pilot may be difficult to watch, as is the case with the first episodes of many popular TV shows, but the series gradually gets back on track as the season progresses. Viewers will find that the action scenes are surprisingly compelling, even if they sometimes sport dated visual effects. The show’s original characters also prove notable, particularly Jill Wagner’s Krista Starr and Jessica Gower’s evil vampire Chase. This helps distract audiences from the absence of Wesley Snipes, which was a major sticking point for the series during its original run. Despite its best efforts, Sticky Fingaz is never able to capture the same suave energy that Snipes exuded in the original. Blade trilogy. Still, if one is willing to look beyond the long shadow that the original Blade casts, one might find themselves having a lot of fun with this underrated spinoff series.
Marvel’s Blade Reboot May Learn From Blade: The Series
Blade: the series is a great way for fans of the franchise to hold themselves over while they wait for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s troubled end. Blade restart. First announced in 2019, the new Blade The film is still in pre-production and Mahershala Ali is set to reprise the lead role. Marvel fans have been eternally frustrated by the Blade the reboot’s constant delays, leading many to wonder if the film will ever see the light of day. Nonetheless, Marvel Studios continues to insist that it is dedicated to making the film, even if it takes longer than expected. As the film moves closer to production, it can learn several important lessons from the failure of Blade: the series.
THE Blade The spinoff series didn’t abandon the action, which was a major part of the original trilogy’s success. Fans of the character want to see Blade in intense combat, battling evil vampires and their familiars in epic fight sequences that rival those in the original films. Reports claim that the original scripts abandoned for the Blade the reboot was sadly devoid of action sequences, with only one or two major fight scenes in the entire film. This is something that would immediately doom the film and has hopefully been addressed in the new drafts. Moreover, the biggest obstacle to anything new Blade The film is missing Wesley Snipes. This was one of the main fights of the series, which tried its best to create a new Blade but never managed to convince the audience that it was better or even equal to Snipes’ version. Mahershala Ali has a steep hill to climb if he wants to prove himself as a character. Marvel Blade The reboot needs to focus heavily on Blade himself, giving him a chance to step out of the long shadow cast by Snipes. Rumors that the film will be a two-hander with Blade and his daughter are concerning for this reason. Mahershala Ali needs a chance to shine in his own solo film if he ever hopes to live up to his predecessor.
Blade: the series is a long-forgotten addition to Wesley Snipes’ original trilogy, but the canceled series is still relevant today. Not only does it do a great job expanding the franchise’s history, but it also offers several lessons that Marvel Studios could desperately use today as it struggles with its upcoming reboot.
- Release date
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August 21, 1998
- Runtime
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120 minutes
- Director
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Stephen Norrington
- Writers
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David S. Goyer, Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan
- Producers
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Peter Frankfurt, Robert Engelman, Wesley Snipes
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Stephen Dorff
Deacon Frost