Blade, one of Marvel’s first popular film superheroes, may have arrived in the MCU way sooner if Marvel had let it. How?

Wesley Snipes's Blade was Marvel’s earliest successful cinematic superhero
Wesley Snipes’s Blade was Marvel’s earliest successful cinematic superhero

Blade, one of Marvel’s first fashionable film superheroes, may have arrived in the MCU way sooner if Marvel had let it. Marvel Comics has a remarkable backstory to its various medium diversifications. Most Marvel movies released in the nineties and early 2000s were self-contained and barely matched their comic book supply material. However, the Marvel Multiverse has evolved into a strong force in popular culture, covering a vast superhero series. The MCU is coming up with a revamped Blade film series, and therefore, the hero created a quick, voice-only anaglyph in 2021’s Eternals. However, Blade had multiple opportunities to appear in the MCU way earlier. To avoid bankruptcy in the nineties, Marvel Amusement sold the film rights to a variety of Marvel superheroes to many film firms. This splendidly includes Spider-Man, Marvel’s marquee character, for whom Sony Pictures purchased image rights. printing operation. Cinema acquired the film rights to Blade, the legendary superhero and lamia hunter, and released his debut feature in 1998. Blade, starring Wesley Snipes, was a commercial success that audiences liked (though critics were divided), spawning two sequels and a live-action miniseries. The Blade, along with Fox’s X-Men films and guided missile Raimi’s idolized Spider-Man triad, helped to determine the modern superhero blockbuster cinema, demonstrating that superheroes, aside from Superman and attendant, may well be the muse of profitable films.

The use of Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films was prohibited by Marvel:

A Still Of Mahershala Ali's Blade, Who Is About To Appear In The MCU
A Still Of Mahershala Ali’s Blade, Who Is About To Appear In The MCU

Blade was one of several heroes whose rights were returned to Marvel in the early 2010s, as described in The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Blade, like Daredevil, The Punisher, Luke Cage, and Ghost Rider, was supposed to join the MCU via television rather than cinema. While Marvel Entertainment’s film subsidiary, Marvel Studios, continued to expand the MCU on film, Marvel Entertainment began releasing TV episodes set inside the same universe but without Kevin Feige’s direction. As a consequence, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and The Punisher became popular Netflix episodes, while Ghost Rider debuted on Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, an ABC television series. The MCU’s earliest TV episodes did not contain Blade, and while they were interwoven into the MCU’s timeline, the films and shows seldom corresponded too closely with each other. The MCU’s television shows were subsequently taken over by Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios, resulting in a series of Disney+ episodes that were more closely associated with the MCU films. While Blade may have debuted in one of the MCU’s non-Marvel Studios TV shows if they had lasted a little longer, he’s now scheduled to make his solo feature debut, played by Mahershala Ali (who previously played Cornell Stokes in Luke Cage and had a cameo in Eternals).

Blade Might Have Completed Thor: Ragnarok’s Vampire Joke:

Korg's Vampire Joke In Thor: Ragnarok
Korg’s Vampire Joke In Thor: Ragnarok

The Phase 3 films, as well as Thor’s third solo excursion, Thor: Ragnarok, had a brief appearance by the MCU’s Blade. Korg laughs about a three-pronged spear being handy against three vampires on the gladiatorial planet of Sakaar. While the joke was most likely a reference to Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, who helmed the 2014 vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, it also hinted at a Blade-related joke in the future. The hero may have emerged as a gladiator on Sakaar, possibly battling a trio of vampires and demonstrating the efficacy of Korg’s approach. While it may not have had the grandeur that the MCU’s Blade deserves, an early appearance in Ragnarok would have primed fans for the hero’s ultimate standalone picture.

Could Blade have made an appearance in Avengers: Endgame?

Could Blade Have Fit Into Avengers: Endgame?
Could Blade appeared in Avengers: Endgame?

Blade was given another chance to make his MCU debut in Avengers: Endgame. The film wrapped up the first three stages of the MCU, now known as the Infinity Saga, in a dramatic manner, bringing almost every MCU hero together for a grand finale battle against Thanos’ armies. While the main Avengers were the center of the conflict, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Masters of the Mystic Arts, and several unaffiliated heroes were among those confronting Thanos, which might have included Blade if Marvel Studios desired. If Blade had previously debuted in Ragnarok, his involvement in the war against Thanos would have increased anticipation for his eventual standalone film.

Why Is The MCU’s Blade Movie Arriving at the Appropriate Time?

The Poster Of Marvel's Upcoming Movie Blade
The Poster Of Marvel’s Upcoming Movie Blade Starring Mahershala Ali

Given Blade’s significance in Marvel cinematic history, having such modest roles for him in Phase 3 of the MCU may have deprived him of a more dramatic and spectacular premiere. The Sakaar sequence in Thor: Ragnarok focused on Thor and The Hulk, making Blade’s possible debut too brief for the hero. Having Blade appear at the end of the game would have also demoted the hero to a supporting role, which is unworthy of the hero, whether or not he had previously appeared in Ragnarok. While some may consider Blade’s debut in an uncredited and voice-only appearance to be unsatisfactory, Marvel made the correct decision to hold out on presenting him. With the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, the MCU’s landscape is substantially clearer, enabling the introduction of a new wave of heroes to the ever-expanding brand. Shang-Chi and the Eternals made their debut in Phase 4, and future properties will include Ironheart, Ms. Marvel, and The Fantastic Four, as well as an impending X-Men adaptation. Blade could have easily made his MCU debut much sooner, but Marvel is giving the hero proper credit by having his first complete appearance be part of the franchise’s new wave of heroes.

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