Comic book films are now the most financially successful films being released in Hollywood, but that was not always the case. Rarely do you ever see 1998's "Blade" or even its sequels on any top ten comic book movie lists. 90s icon Wesley Snipes ("Demolition Man", "Jungle Fever", "New Jack City") was one of the main factors responsible for making "Blade" a success. Not only did he star as the titular character but helped get the film off the ground as a producer.
Before "Blade" ever got the official green light, Snipes was interested in another Marvel superhero, the Black Panther, but eventually took a chance on "Blade the Vampire Hunter". Though not as flashy or appealing to general audiences as the cinematic superheroes of today, "Blade" was a more grounded take on superheroes, which was a genre people were not nearly taking as serious as today.
As Blade was not the typical superhero film for the time, the titular character was not the typical superhero protagonist, either. Whereas Batman or Superman would send their villains to jail waiting for them to break out the next week, Blade brutally eliminated his enemies with no remorse. Granted, these enemies were murderous vampires or their followers, but seeing a comic book hero in that antihero light was not something causal audiences were used to.
Blade and other antiheroes like The Punisher were mainstays in comics for decades before the release of the film, but the closest thing audiences had to that on film before 1998 was Tim Burton's "Batman" and "The Crow". Blade's brutal methods and cold-blooded methods in conquering his foes immediately set the tone that this was would not be your father's superhero movie.
In the film, Blade has his own secret base of operations, but it was not flashy with his superhero logo on everything; it was a vacant safe house. Blade's older mentor Whistler was a gruff badass version of Alfred from Batman. Blade did have a dead mother, but as a twist on the trope, she happened to come back by the climax as a vampire and aid for the main antagonist Deacon Frost (played by Stephen Dorff).
Event the villains reflected the grounded tone of the film, they were not in goofy costumes with nicknames; they were bloodthirsty vampires in plain clothes trying to take over the human race under the nose of New Yorkers. The film took the source material of the character and the subject matter seriously. It was not toned down for kids; it embraced the darkness and it was a success because of it.
The reason I believe "Blade" has not been remembered as it should be is due to the fact that the scope of comic book films has changed completely. The bar has risen to monumental levels following "Black Panther" and "The Avengers". But "Blade" is a film that more fans should be paying attention to and giving rewatches. If it were not for Marvel (who were just getting out of bankruptcy) deciding to take a chance on "Blade", there may not have been any box office record-breaking "Avengers" films being released today.
It was the success of "Blade" that would help convince Marvel to green light even riskier comic book adaptations like "X-Men" and "Spider-Man". Like with almost every hero, there have even been talks for a "Blade" comeback in the MCU with Wesley Snipes reprising the role in a future Marvel Studios film. The potential film could possibly involve Blade passing the mantle of vampire hunter onto his younger daughter.
It would be great for new generations to become acquainted with Blade and understand the film's significance to the comic book movie history.
