Bringing Blade back into the fold of the MCU isn’t a bad idea originally. Marvel has grown into a massive empire that has generated over five billion at the box office. Blade Trinity – the final film featuring the Marvel vampire – left the brand on a sour note. It saw the comic book anti-hero take a break from the mainstream media for a good period of time. There was a live-action adaptation of the popular character, but that immediately floundered following a strong debut on the then-named Spike TV.
It’s understandable why Marvel wants to put the character within the MCU. Though the brand has been struggling a bit recently, it’s still a giant machine that can garner $500 plus million at the box office. However, it would be better off if the anti-hero wasn’t in the established MCU brand. That doesn’t mean that Marvel can’t slap its brand name on the upcoming film. But differentiating Blade from the regular cast of MCU heroes could actually do wonders for the comic book adaptation.
Keeping Blade Out Of The MCU Allows For Bold and Creative Storytelling
Marvel has an established brand at this point. Films like Captain America: Winter Soldier and Civil War have deviated from the known style of the Marvel films. However, the franchise’s bread and butter is essentially light and comedic affairs. Blade is a stoic and cold character who isn’t particularly known for his sarcastic quips. More importantly, Blade is a VAMPIRE.
One of the biggest issues with Blade Trinity is that the film was campier and lighter than its predecessors. It’s not impossible to write a PG-13 vampire movie, but film history documents that these types of films are better served in the R-rated range. Blade is like Deadpool. Though their characters and personalities are vastly different, the similarities are that they thrive better in an R-rated world.
The reason the “merc with the mouth” stands out some well is that he feels different from other superheroes on the market. Wade Wilson/Deadpool is essentially a psychopathic serial killer with hilarious wisecracks. A PG-13 Deadpool would strip him of all his unique characteristics. As evidenced in the much-reviled X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Giving the Blade writers that sort of freedom allows them to tell a bold story that can only be told through the perspective of Blade. It also means that Marvel isn’t forced to make connections to a world that’s vastly different from the MCU. The series won’t be held back by serving a larger story, and it can showcase further how Marvel can strongly diversify their storytelling.
There Could Be Some Fun Crossover Stories In A Series Of Blade Films
One of the main drawbacks of the MCU is that everything feels pedestrian. Kevin Feige and Marvel have a set path. That method is the reason why phases one through four were a tremendous success. However, creative stories like Captain America turning evil will never see the light of day because it’s not the type of stories they’re telling.
Blade has killed Doctor Strange. Fought a Vampiric Spider-Man. He’s even battled against The Avengers with Nick Fury by his side. Setting the character in an alternate universe creates an opportunity to do “What if..” type stories that shift the dynamics of both heroes and villains. It changes the status quo of what Marvel typically does and gives them a new avenue to explore with their characters that can keep them fresh and engaging.
Marvel Hasn’t Reached Their Full Potential Yet
Both Marvel and DC have only scratched the surface of the stories that they’ve told when it comes to comic book films. In addition to strong stories and characters, there needs to be a new wrinkle that expands the Marvel brand to make it exciting again. Not every single Marvel film or show needs to connect to the main MCU, and it would be amazing if the company took a risk with this approach.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that Blade is a good film. There’s not impossible under Marvel’s current brand. But it does hinder the potential the character has. Opening up the universe by exploring a different side of Marvel could do wonders for the brand, and Blade is the perfect character to experiment on.
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