The MCU's Blade Will Be Better By Ignoring The Comics
The upcoming Blade movie will allegedly eschew comic source material in favor of a character-led approach. Here's why that's a good thing.
The upcoming MCU Blade adaptation will be significantly stronger for not over-relying on the source material. The new movie, starring Moonlight's Mahershala Ali and helmed by director Bassam Tariq looks set to take comic books' most iconic half-vampire in a completely new direction, following the success of the previous Wesley Snipes films. However, while this approach might cause trepidation for some fans, there are some very good reasons why it may ultimately pay dividends.
The new Blade feature will be the first big-screen iteration of the popular character since the much-derided 2004 flick Blade Trinity. Trinity was the third installment in a series of pre-MCU Blade movies, including the 1998 original and its 2002 follow-up Blade II – directed by visionary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. All three films enjoyed a generally mixed critical reception and modest box office returns. However, the original saga has gone on to enjoy cult status and cultivate a fervent global fanbase.
Originally created in 1972, the character of Blade plays a crucial role in the Marvel comics canon, interacting with other central characters such as Spider-Man and Black Panther. However, despite his prominent role, the movie adaptation will follow its own path, according to director Bassam Tariq. While this might sound risky, given the complex connections between the big screen and original source material throughout the MCU, Blade's unique place in the history of superhero movies actually provides the perfect opportunity for Marvel to experiment. While it will never be possible to completely separate from its roots, the prospect of a new and unique Blade movie and storyline is seriously exciting.
One key reason why the Blade character is so suited to a comic book-light interpretation is his relative lack of popularity beyond comic aficionados. While other iconic Marvel figures, like The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man, for instance, are an inherent part of pop culture, Blade has remained relatively under the radar, to the point where the most well-recognized Blade stories are the result of the three previous movies, rather than the actual source material. This provides an opportunity for Marvel to introduce his character, and vampire lore, into the MCU while being fairly flexible with their approach to storytelling. Conversely, limiting their approach to what's in the comics could, perhaps counterintuitively, limit what ends up on the screen.
A second consideration is the new project's purported emphasis on a character-first narrative. This approach, which the director advocated during a recent interview on The Playlist Podcast, means that this new Blade story won't be beholden to any previous projects and will instead be inspired by what makes sense for the character. This opens up the exciting possibility of a completely original story that allows new Blade actor Mahershala Ali to literally and metaphorically sink his teeth into the role. Of course, it's inevitable that the comics will influence some aspects of the movie. But there's no doubt that not being confined by a set plot or storyline should be liberating for both actor and director.