The success of Marvel's Black Panther has proven that diversity in comic book movies pays, and with King T'Challa's solo effort still raking in the dough at a healthy clip, thoughts will now turn to the future of his empire. Others will go one step further and try to figure out just how to continue this positive trend of opening up the world of comic book movies to broader, stranger horizons. And sitting squarely in the middle of those two circles is a bloody brilliant idea on how to take the MCU to the next level: reviving the Blade franchise.
Now whether it's with Wesley Snipes again, as the man is more than open to reprising the role he originated, or if it's decided to head out with a new actor at the helm, the fact still remains that we need a new Blade. The world is ready for it, and there's some good, solid reasons as to why this should happen.
A New Blade Further Promotes Diversity
Black Panther has just blown the doors off of promoting diversity in comic book movies, what with the gigantic grosses it's already brought in with a little over two weeks in the books. Everyone is clearly hungry for heroes different than the ones they've already seen depicted on the screen. Whether you're a fan or a newbie, you can admit that an African American human/vampire hybrid is off the beaten path from the heroes that we've been seeing on the screen since 2008's MCU kick-off. Bringing Blade back helps further break apart the rather "samey" comic book movie market, allowing for more outliers to gain traction and further diversify the eco-system they occupy.
The True Origins Of Blade Can Be Brought To The Screen
Believe it or not, the Wesley Snipes incarnation of Blade is pretty far from the original source material. The character is actually British, and was born back in 1929, just to show you a sliver of the difference between the film version we're all used to, and the history of the comic. So if one were to bring Blade into the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they'd have the chance to reinvent the character along the lines of how he was originally depicted. Not to mention, this tactic solves the Wesley Snipes problem, as a new actor can be brought in to play the more authentic Blade.
The Series Is Long Overdue For An Update
Blade was released in 1998, with its final entry Blade: Trinity being unleashed upon the world in 2004. Needless to say, it's been a good stretch of time since the Daywalker has been seen on the big screen, leaving a generation of movie-goers unfamiliar with the canon. And if you're a new fan trying to get into the original trilogy of Blade films, you're more than likely going to be hit over the head with how outdated the whole series feels, even at its best. If an Honest Trailer can rip on your series for having an excessively Techno soundtrack, despite kicking all sorts of ass, there's obviously some room for a refresh.
The Legend Of Blade: Trinity's Infamy Has Gone On Long Enough
Acting as the largest blemish on the record of the Blade franchise, as well one of the comic movie world's greatest failures, Blade: Trinity has been a punchline ever since its debut. It's an example of not only what happens when your lead actor lets their ego get to them, but it's also a purely franchise ruining film. For as interesting as the character is, and as fantastic as those first two films are, everyone only ever talks about how bad the third film was, and how that Patton Oswalt story about Wesley Snipes' lacking behavior never gets old. With Marvel Studios looking back on the last 10 years, and looking to the future just as eagerly, the time is right to reclaim one of their biggest characters from the pre-Iron Man era of blockbuster history.
It's time to bring Blade back, and it's also time to use more members from the deep bench of the Marvel Comics line-up to forge the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Panther will obviously be an important part of the future for Marvel Studios, and bringing Blade out of retirement only helps enrich the pledge to diversity that they have made with the former film's success. To leave Blade behind in the past is, as the Daywalker himself would tell you, comparable to ice skating uphill.
