I love Blade. I mean, who doesn’t? The first is a classic, the second is somehow even better than the first, and the third movie…well, the third movie is okay. I’ll just leave it at that. But when news broke that Marvel/Disney was going to be rebooting the character, and not only that, but that Mahershala Ali would be donning the shades, my mind kind of exploded.
That’s because I love Mahershala Ali. He’s already played two Marvel characters in Luke Cage’s Cottonmouth and Uncle Aaron (as a voice) in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, so he’s no stranger to the world of comics. But Blade is different. A lot different, actually, and that’s why I’m super excited for this new movie. Almost as excited as I am for Moon Knight coming to Disney+. But this isn’t about Moon Knight. It’s about Blade! And here are 5 reasons why I can’t wait for the highly anticipated Blade movie. Because, just as Blade once said: “When you understand the nature of a thing… you know what it’s capable of.”
We'll Probably Get To See What A PG-13 Blade Looks Like
I remember watching the first Blade in the movie theater. I was 15, and it was for my birthday party. I was also two years too young since it was Rated-R, and for a reason. There was cursing, there was violence, and even a literal blood shower in the oh-so-cool famous rave scene. It was amazing, and I’ll never forget it. Because before Deadpool and Logan were pushing that hard R-rating, Wesley Snipes was doing it first as Blade.
But that’s not going to happen this time, right? I mean, Deadpool might get away with a rated-R sequel, but the MCU will likely take a different approach with Blade. And that’s because I have a good feeling that he’s going to be playing nice with other characters in the MCU sometime soon (more on that in a few), so it would be pretty weird, tonally, to have a super-bloody character in the same universe as the kid-friendly Spider-Man. And you know what? I’m okay with that. In fact, I’m actually kind of interested to see what a PG-13 Blade movie (yes, I’ve seen the TV series) would actually look like. They’ll have to get really creative with it, so I’m intrigued. I mean, it can’t hurt to find out what it will be like, right?
Mahershala Ali Will Quite Possibly Be Doing Martial Arts, Which Is Something We Haven't Really Seen From The Oscar-Winning Actor
Mahershala Ali has won two (count ‘em) two Academy Awards, so when it comes to prestige, you don’t get much classier than Mahershala Ali. But do you know what I really want to see? I want to see him throw on a silly costume and do backflips. Because life just makes more sense when you accept, nay, when you embrace the absurd. Go ask Camus.
But seriously, there’s nothing I now want more out of life than to watch Mahershala Ali doing spinning roundhouse kicks into vampire faces. Because if this Blade is anything like the Wesley Snipes version of yore, then we will soon be seeing a bona fide Oscar winner kicking some bloodsucker butt. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t spiral out of control into Catwoman territory, which also starred an Oscar-winner. Meow?
Blade Will Likely Connect To The Rest Of The MCU In Fascinating Ways
Blade and Moon Knight (here we go again with the Moon Knight) are probably the most fascinating inclusions into the MCU since they’re both really dark characters. They’re also street fighters, which would be new for the MCU. And while Marvel had done something of this nature with The Defenders on Netflix, there’s nothing really like that, as of yet, in the MCU. Everything is always just larger than life. I mean, even the MCU’s version of Spider-Man has only slightly been the Friendly Neighborhood version from the comics as seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Otherwise, he’s out in Europe fighting projections of Hydro-Man and Molten Man. So a street fighter, he’s not.
But Blade has to be a street fighter. He lurks in the shadows in the gothic underbelly of the city, and he also hunts vampires. So you know what that means, right? Vampires will officially be canon in the MCU, which creates a whole new side of Marvel that hasn’t been explored yet. But I’ll get to that in the next entry.
Blade Will Likely Expand The MCU A Great Deal
In the beginning… there was Iron Man. And it was good. From there on, the MCU basically set up The Avengers in that famous post-credit scene. 2011’s Thor introduced audiences to the mythos side of Marvel, but it was an origin story, so most of it took place on Earth. No, it was 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy that really took Marvel to bold new places in outer space, introducing the cosmic side of Marvel. 2016 brought magic to the universe with Dr. Strange, so it started to get really comic-booky.
But you know what Marvel doesn’t have yet? Things that go bump in the night. Because while Marvel properties like Venom and Ghost Rider have already been made by other studios, the MCU has been deeply deprived. But Blade could expand that universe, and I could definitely see characters like Ghost Rider and even a rebooted version of Daredevil fitting into this new corner of the MCU. And Blade could be that gateway character. Oh, and also…
This Could Quite Possibly Be The First Official MCU Horror Movie
This is probably my most anticipated reason for why I’m pumped for the new Blade. When there were rumors that the next Dr. Strange movie could potentially be a horror flick, I got super excited. Unfortunately, it looks like that won’t be the case, but don’t count out horror just yet for the MCU. I mean, like I said before, Blade fights vampires, so this could be the MCU’s first real leap into the realm of horror.
And personally, I don’t mind a PG-13 horror movie from the MCU. In a way, it could age-up the demographic just a little. One thing that a lot of people complain about with the MCU is that it’s too kid-friendly. I mean, the DC fangirls and boys have a field day about how “Marvel is for children, and DC is for adults.” But a PG-13 horror movie could change all that. At least a little. Because while I’m sure Blade will be merchandised up the wazoo, and I’m certain Disney will somehow find a way to make Blade palatable enough so that parents don’t boycott the Mouse House, I do think that a horror-infused MCU flick could throw a new, darker shade on the MCU, and I am here for it.
There is just so much potential with a Blade reboot, and I seriously can’t wait for more information. But what do you think? Are you pumped for a new Blade, or are you content with the original trilogy? Sound off in the comments section down below.
