That ending was also a victim of the production’s limitations. Not enough time, money, or ability in terms of visual effects technology forced a last minute re-write, and it would not be the last time that a Marvel movie pushed the boundaries of what’s possible. For instance, Twentieth Century Fox was famously cheap when it came to the first X-Men, and Sam Raimi pushed the technology to the limits of its capabilities in making Spider-Man a reality. Obviously, there were benefits in starting small though. And there were benefits in being first, too. Blade gets to enjoy a focus that comic book movies made now do not.
By that we mean Blade doesn’t have to worry about setting up a universe or take time out of the plot to carve its own unique place in it. Blade just is, and that’s despite the fact that there’s a big world of supernatural characters that could have been teased and plucked for future projects: Werewolf by Night, Moon Knight, Morbius and Ghost Rider being primary examples. It’s noteworthy that when Blade did try to expand, introducing the Nightstalkers in Blade Trinity, it ended up being the last time that we would see the character on the big screen for a while. It’s also worth noting that Blade aside, any attempt to plumb Marvel’s stable of magical or supernatural characters has come to not. One wonders how Doctor Strange might fair when it releases out next year.
In the end, what set Blade apart might have been the surprise. Coming a year after Batman & Robin, which flamed out a once viable and profitable franchise in such a spectacular neon fashion that George Clooney still apologizes for it till this day. That same summer, Spawn tried to launch a franchise but was overwhelmed with its own demanding effects and Steel was so laughably bad that it’s not even a footnote in Shaq’s brief attempt to turn pro basketball stardom into a movie career. By comparison, Blade suffered from a lack of ambition. It was released in late summer, it had no big marketing push, and even its own studio thought the whole concept was a joke for a while.
But by making three time its budget back at the box office, Blade quickly changed things. As the new millennium dawned every Hollywood studio was looking to make their own comic book movie, and this time, they would give the material the respect it deserves (in most cases).
As for Blade, he would soldier on into sequels, and he would soon be joined by the X-Men, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Hulk, Punisher, Elektra, the Fantastic Four, and, eventually, Iron Man and the Avengers. And to think it all began with the Daywalker, who once famously said of his adversary that “Some m***erf***ers are always trying to ice-skate uphill.” They do, and sometimes, after all the struggle and the challenges, they reach the top of that hill.
