1998’s Blade kicks an enormous amount of ass and is arguably the first modern superhero movie: the prototype for what would become the MCU style of comic book adaptation. Two sequels followed, with Guillermo Del Toro’s Blade II a worthy successor and David Goyer’s Blade: Trinity being… well… let’s just say there’s a reason we don’t talk much about Blade Trinity.
Now, HBO Max subscribers can go back to where it all began, as the original Blade has been added to the service’s streaming library. Wesley Snipes was instantly iconic as Blade and the opening vampire rave bloodbath remains incredibly cool, so if you somehow haven’t seen it, definitely make time. The rest of the film is no slouch either, with Blade taking on Stephen Dorff’s Deacon Frost as he attempts to resurrect an ancient vampire god named La Magra.
Blade‘s reputation has only grown over the decades, with Snipes still embodying Blade in the eyes of audiences throughout the world. This continued popularity meant it was only a matter of time before the character returned, this time in the comforting bosom of the MCU.
But Snipes’ performance means the MCU’s Blade has a steep hill to climb. Mahershala Ali will be stepping into the Daywalker’s boots, with the project being announced way back during the 2019 Marvel Studios San Diego Comic-Con presentation. Since then, we’ve learned that Bassam Tariq is directing and Watchmen writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour is on script duties. Even so, we haven’t got even a vague release date, so the movie is likely a long way off yet.
So now that we’re in October and Halloween is coming, why not head back to Blade and remind yourself what ice-skaters shouldn’t do on hills.
