The first Marvel film was a horror film, full of style and gore. Good box office success: $131 million, with a much better sequel and a disappointing third chapter. Blades it was the sum of the best that cinematography could give at this stage. Atmosphere and personality designed to appeal to the teen, male, comic book and/or action/horror segment. Having a “cool” protagonist was much more important than having something to say about the characters’ reality and dilemmas. Superheroes, albeit with copyright exceptions ( Batman Burton was at least 20 years ahead) were direct, firm, always with a plan, invincible. In other words: two-dimensional. What mattered was the world that was created and the impact of the scenes set within it.
For Blades Wesley Snipes was a happy event. The character’s third dimension comes from his ability to impose his personality while also being entertaining, in an equally engaging script by David S. Goyer. Basic stuff: ancient rivalries, secret groups, vampires, purebloods, diurnals, infected people. In 1998, it was the perfect expression of its time from an aesthetic point of view: leather jackets, huge rifles, long hair, sunglasses at night and evil looks. Today it all sounds old-fashioned and a little cute.
There was then a break in the vampire figure for several years. This was a preliminary stage: for about ten years all the blood was drained from her. From the author of vampires(let me in), romantic vampires (Twilight). Many characters from other genres looked like vampires. An example is pale Neo from Matrix who, although he was not one, took the perfect clothes for Blades.
Blades it was great for that moment when the genre was something else. In the world after Gli X-Men from Singer, lo Spider-Man Sam Raimi and Batman Nolan, operations like Blades they immediately became vintage.
Today, Marvel Studios wants to relaunch the character in their universe with the face of Mahershala Ali. Years of development hell between delays, changes of direction and rewrites seem to have put a huge mark on this project that says: this is not a good idea!
Rare Marvel Studios reboot
Considering that the new Blades be it a reboot – little is known about Nic Pizzolato’s new reboot – it would be a rare practice for Marvel Studios. Of course have Fantastic 4but their films failed to gain recognition from fans. daredevil the same thing, after a bad movie, it made a splash in the hands of Netflix, but with a TV series. The decision on his leadership in the MCU is on hold and we expect to see him as the main character. Spider-Man Tom Holland’s is a far cry from the two that preceded him, first being used as an assistant to the Avengers before gradually fleshing out his storyline in the single-player games. The Origins and Multiverse Trilogy is very different from the rest.
When Blades it was about casting a much-loved character, especially in the film version. In comics BladesWhile some authors have made it relevant by including it in large-scale crossovers, it definitely doesn’t belong in a “series” of Marvel books. His films are loved precisely because they fit into the aesthetics of the 90s. For better or worse, getting rid of him won’t be easy.
There is a different concept of cinema between Wesley Snipes and Mahershala Ali. Ali, who turns 50 next year while he waits to get on the set of a film, is the face of quality cinema and demands. From Moonlight To green bookhe became an interpreter of a new trend in the depiction of blacks in cinema. Blades Wesley Snipes was the first black superhero and didn’t even realize the historicity of it. It was light, “cassette”, without pretensions. Today this critical category would be unacceptable for a genre that, instead of making demands on itself, began to make many.
We’re used to seeing comics as a commentary on the present (even if it’s hidden under layers of entertainment), an analysis of the sense of heroism and values that permeate American society. We remember and love Blades precisely in order to do the opposite. How will Kevin Feige play him? Either way it doesn’t seem right.
Is there a place for Blade in the MCU?
The MCU needs to regroup. He must pull the threads of many subplots and find a fleet of cutting-edge heroes capable of replacing the original Avengers in the public’s affections. Adding more meat to the fire and opening up an urban and cursed world is the last thing he needs.
Looking to the future, Blade always seems to be the underdog, his title least connected to the others. Of course, original projects that go beyond continuity should be welcomed with open arms. But Blades it is not as free from comparisons as the experiment was Werewolf. It’s hard to understand the meaning of competing with yourself, trying to do something better or different. In any case, now this is a risk that makes no sense to take. The harm from a mistake will be much greater than the benefit from success.
Therefore, in an ever-expanding universe, it seems that the space of Day is still too narrow. Ironically, for a franchise about photoallergic vampires, the problem may be precisely the lack of room to shine.
That’s why new Blades, 25 years after the first, presents nothing but problems. And that’s why it’s so interesting to see how (and when) they solve them.
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