Ultimately, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will get round to rebooting Blade. Introduced at San Diego Comedian-Con in 2019 with two-time Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali set to play the well-known daywalker, Blade has confirmed to be probably the most tough MCU movie to get off the bottom, because the movie has gone by a number of writers, administrators, and launch dates. At this price, the movie probably will not come out till after Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, that means Blade won’t hit theaters till 2028 on the earliest, which might be 9 years after the venture was introduced and thirty years after Wesley Snipes performed the character in his first solo film.
Wesley Snipes’ model of Blade, who starred in his personal trilogy and not too long ago returned for a supporting position in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, redefined the character. The movie reinvented the character in such a approach that the comics have since reworked the character of Blade to be extra like his big-screen counterpart. With it having been over twenty years for the reason that final Blade movie, the character has appeared in lots of comics, together with becoming a member of The Avengers, and his talents and powers have been expanded upon.
Listed below are 5 powers that Blade has within the comics that the movies have not proven, however the MCU might change that.
5
Hypnosis
Blade is an element vampire, so he has lots of their strengths and none of their weak spot, apart from the thirst. Nevertheless, one well-known vampire energy that Blade has not proven on display is hypnosis. From Dracula to the vampires on True Blood, a vampire’s means to stare into an individual’s eyes and manipulate them is among the strongest weapons they’ve that the Blade films by no means took benefit of.
In Marvel Comics, Blade is proof against vampire hypnosis (although he’s vulnerable to different forms of mind-control). Within the Final Comics universe, since Blade is an element vampire, he additionally has the power to hypnotize folks, although possibly the rationale he does not as typically is that he does not need to take off his sun shades. This makes Blade primarily a low-level telepath, which might make him an much more highly effective character within the MCU.
4
Transformation
One other key means of the vampire is to remodel its physique, be it right into a bat and even mist. The power to remodel is among the more moderen additions to Blade’s powerset. In Blade #6 by Bryan Edward Hill and Lee M. Ferguson from December 2023, Dracula teaches Blade the right way to dodge enemy assaults by turning into mist. In 2014’s Deadpool: Dracula’s Gauntlet, Blade threatens to go away Deadpool behind by turning right into a bat…and it does not seem like a joke.
In each circumstances, the power to remodel was not a part of Blade’s powers when the Wesley Snipes movies had been being made. The power to show into mist was only in the near past added after the MCU Blade was even introduced, that means there may be now time for this energy to probably present up in his reboot. Nevertheless, the comics have established that Blade tends to keep away from the power of transformation attributable to it making him really feel much less human, so this may be a one-and-done factor he does for a cool set-piece in a movie somewhat than a recurring energy.
3
Absorption and Immunization to Supernatural Infections
Blade’s vampire therapeutic offers him an added edge over many heroes, as his physique fights off any human infections. Nevertheless, he additionally seems to be proof against supernatural ailments and assaults, and might even take in them to treatment others. In Avengers #18 from 2019 by Jason Aaron and David Marquez, Blade bites the Robbie Reyes model of Ghost Rider to suck out the evil an infection rising inside him, not solely saving Ghost Rider, however leaving Blade unhurt.
The earlier movies have proven Blade giving into his vampiric urges, particularly drawing his fangs, as a darkish aspect of his persona. He’s typically making an attempt to maintain the monster inside at bay, but this reveals that his vampiric means will also be used for good and has advantages. The vampirism may be a curse for Blade, however it may be a treatment for others. In the meantime, the concept Blade is proof against regular pathogens or toxins offers Blade an added edge in biochemical warfare settings, significantly if an enemy needs to launch a virus.
2
Can Sense Different Supernatural Creatures
The unique Blade trilogy saved the deal with vampires, although a deleted ending for Blade: Trinity established that werewolves existed within the franchise. Blade is a half-human, half-vampire who has devoted his life to searching vampires. One means Blade possesses within the comics is the power to sense different supernatural creatures apart from vampires, together with werewolves, ghosts, demons, and even witches.
Within the unique movies, Blade’s means to detect vampires was extra about deductive reasoning, whereas within the comics, it’s a sixth sense and supernatural. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has already established an entire host of supernatural threats. Blade’s means to detect supernatural creatures not solely widens his scope outdoors of vampires, but additionally makes for a superb excuse for him to return throughout, struggle, and finally crew up with different supernatural characters within the MCU, like Werewolf by Night time, Man-Factor, Agatha Harkness, and probably Ghost Rider.
1
Gradual Growing old
Within the unique Blade trilogy, it’s established that Eric Brooks was born in 1967, making him 31 years previous by the beginning of the movie (star Wesley Snipes was 36 when Blade got here out). Blade is a up to date hero in his movie, however within the comics, Blade is much older. The comedian e book model of Blade was born in 1929, and attributable to his half-vampire DNA, ages extra slowly than most people. Blade’s sluggish getting older appears to function the identical guidelines as Wolverine’s, as they aged usually till they had been about 30 after which simply stopped. That longer life span (although not immortal) offers the comedian Blade a better sense of historical past and probably a special outlook on life as he has lived to see lots of his associates and family members die whereas he stays younger, combating an countless battle.
The concept of Blade being round for greater than a century seems to have been one of many foremost artistic drives behind the MCU’s Blade, as a number of studies recommended the movie was initially going to be a Thirties interval piece. This was backed up when it was confirmed that lots of the costumes made for the movie had been used for Sinners after Blade was delayed. Though Kevin Feige acknowledged that Blade will probably be set within the modern-day, the hope is that the reboot will delve into the character’s in depth historical past and set up that he has been working within the shadows of the MCU.
Blade
- Launch Date
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November 7, 2025
- Director
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Bassam Tariq
- Writers
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Stacy Osei-Kuffour
- Franchise(s)
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Marvel Cinematic Universe