Contrary to popular belief, the link between horror and comic books is not so distant and there are already many screen adaptations to prove that, including Blade. The 1998 hit from New Line Cinema starred established action hero Wesley Snipes in the title role of a human (born Eric Brooks) with all the strengths but none of the weaknesses of a vampire, which easily makes him the ultimate hunter of the most vicious bloodsuckers. With a new interpretation from Marvel Studios in the works starring Mahershala Ali (which has been removed from the 2025 movie release schedule indefinitely), we cannot think of a better time to catch the original Blade movies streaming, so, as we wait for the upcoming superhero movie, let us point you in the right direction.
Blade (1998)
Director: Stephen Norrington
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson
What it's about: With the help of his mentor, a naturally born half-man, half-vampire with furious hate toward creatures of the night tries to help cure a doctor from becoming one herself, which leads him to a standoff against one of his most powerful enemies yet, Deacon Forst. Released at a time when R-rated comic book movies were still rare, writer David S. Goyer’s stylish, blood-soaked adaptation of Marv Wolfman's Blade series became highly influential for the state of the genre going forward.
Blade II (2002)
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman
What it's about: Blade is forced to form an alliance with his enemies to rid the world of an even greater threat: a race of creatures known as the Reapers, which feed on both vampires and humans alike to quench their insatiable bloodlust. Guillermo del Toro, who would later return to the comic book movie genre with Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army, brought his dazzling, signature visual style to Blade II – the bigger, bloodier second installment of the franchise, which was once again penned by David S. Goyer.
Blade: Trinity (2004)
Director: David S. Goyer
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Jessica Biel, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Purcell
What it's about: While on the run from the FBI, Blade must join forces with a group of fellow vampire hunters called Nightstalkers to take down the most famous and feared bloodsucker of them all: Dracula. Future Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds made his Marvel movie debut as Hannibal King alongside Jessica Biel as Abigail Whistler in Blade: Trinity – the final installment of the original Snipes-led franchise.
Blade: The Series (2006)
Starring: Sticky Fingaz
What it's about: A couple years after the release of Blade: Trinity, the franchise continued in the form of a TV series spin-off created by Goyer which aired for one, 12-episode season on the Paramount Network when it was still called Spike TV.
How to watch Blade: The Series
After revisiting this action-packed trilogy (and short-lived spin-off series), are you excited to see what Mahershala Ali will bring to the role in the upcoming Marvel movie, or will Snipes always be Blade to you? Well, to be honest, as far as we are concerned, slaying creatures of the undead is fun to watch no matter who is wielding the sword.
