19 Years Ago, Marvel Tried to Replicate the Success of This Horror Hit by Upping the Ante in a Huge Way

Jordan Iacobucci has been an avid reader and movie fan since childhood. Jordan is known among his friends as the Marvel and Star Wars nerd, and even wrote a thirty-page college dissertation about Spider-Man! He has been a staff writer at both Screen Rant and CBR, where he enjoys sharing his love for pop culture with the world.

Image via New Line Cinemas

Blade changed the game for superhero cinema, in many ways building the foundation for what would become one of the biggest genres in modern Hollywood. The original 1998 movie starring Wesley Snipes as the titular Daywalker embraced the best parts of the comic books, leaning into horror and epic action elements while maintaining hints of Marvel's signature humor. All this perfectly worked together to make Blade the biggest surprise hit in Marvel's film history, giving the company the confidence to pursue other cinematic ventures like Spider-Man and X-Men. This all led up to the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the biggest franchise of all time.

Blade's success led to a trilogy of films that expanded on the lore of the original 1998 movie. The film also launched Blade's popularity, keeping the character in the cultural zeitgeist long enough for Marvel to bring Snipes's character back for a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine. There are also plans to reboot the character in the MCU with Mahershala Ali taking over the role. However, even the most die-hard Marvel fans may not be familiar with one of the most underrated Blade continuations, which expanded the franchise's lore in a major way.

Blade: The Series Fleshes Out the Vampire World in a Major Way

Blade leaps into action in Blade: the Series

Image via Spike

Two years after Wesley Snipes's film franchise concluded in 2004, Blade: The Series expanded the trilogy's lore in new and exciting directions. The series was created by David S. Goyer, who has become a staple of superhero cinema thanks to his work on iconic projects like The Dark Knight trilogy, Man of Steel, and the original Blade movies. Set after the events of Blade: Trinity, the series (which is sometimes marketed as Blade: House of Chthon) replaced Wesley Snipes with actor Kirk Jones (a.k.a. "Sticky Fingaz"). Although it is technically set in the same universe as the original Blade movies, House of Chthon is a standalone adventure that ignores many of the events of Trinity. The storyline introduces a new character in Jill Wagner's Krista Starr, an Iraq War veteran who is transformed into a vampire by the villainous Marcus (Neil Jackson), a leading member of the House of Chthon. She is eventually recruited by the vampire hunter Blade to act as a double agent in a sting operation that will hopefully bring Marcus and the entire House of Chthon down for good.

Blade: The Series may not have become the cultural phenomenon that the films did, but it did include several intriguing plot points that fans of the original franchise will like. Specifically, the show delved into the deep lore of Blade's vampires, including the growing divide between "purebloods" and the "turned." Purebloods, vampires who are born and not turned, are shown to be the ruling class of vampire society, lording their power over the turned humans, who became vampires when they were bitten or injected with another vampire's blood.

During the events of the first season, Blade uncovers a plot by Marcus to wipe out all purebloods with a virus that specifically targets their unique genetic makeup. In the season finale, Marcus finally unleashes the virus, which seemingly wipes out the purebloods, leaving only the turned humans to rule over vampirekind. This is a major power move in the world of Blade, completely rewriting vampire lore and sending the franchise on a fresh path that had never been explored before. With this plot twist, Blade: The Series attempted to up the ante from the original movie trilogy in hopes of winning over fans. Unfortunately, the ramifications of this plot point never got the chance to play out in a second season.

Why Was Blade: The Series Canceled?

Blade wields his sword in Blade The Series

Image via Spike

Unfortunately, Blade: The Series was canceled in 2006 after only one season. Spike TV never gave an official reason that the series was not picked up for a second season, but the decision could have come down to several factors. First and most importantly, Blade: The Series was not the viewership juggernaut that the channel had likely been hoping for when adapting a popular Marvel property. Despite a strong premiere, the series gradually dipped in viewership throughout its first season. A second season most likely wouldn't have improved on these numbers, giving the show a limited lifespan either way. Additionally, the show was incredibly expensive to make. The fast-paced action scenes and high-concept storylines meant that Blade: The Series cost more than the average television series. To continue the adventures of Blade and his supporting cast, Spike TV would have had to invest more money than the show likely would have returned, making it an easy financial decision to cancel it after only one season instead. The Season 1 finale marks the last time that audiences ever saw this version of Blade, with his adventures coming to an abrupt halt thereafter.

Despite its early cancellation, Blade: The Series deserves a reevaluation now, almost twenty years after its premiere. The show has its flaws, but it is a surprisingly fun ride if viewers stick with it. The pilot can be a difficult watch, as is the case with the first episodes of many popular television shows, but the series gradually gets on track as the season continues. Viewers will find that the action scenes are surprisingly compelling, even if they sometimes sport dated visual effects. The show's original characters also prove to be standouts, particularly Jill Wagner's Krista Starr and Jessica Gower's villainous vampire Chase. This helps distract audiences from the absence of Wesley Snipes, which was a major sticking point for the series during its original run. For all his efforts, Sticky Fingaz is never able to capture the same suave energy that Snipes exuded in the original Blade trilogy. Still, if one is willing to look past the long shadow that the original Blade casts, they could find themselves having a lot of fun with this underrated spinoff series.

Marvel's Blade Reboot Can Learn From Blade: The Series

Mahershala Ali stars in Alita: Battle Angel

Image via 20th Century Fox

Blade: The Series is an excellent way for fans of the franchise to hold themselves over as they wait for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's troubled Blade reboot. First announced in 2019, the MCU's new Blade movie is still in pre-production with Mahershala Ali set to take over the titular role. Marvel fans have been eternally frustrated with the Blade reboot's constant delays, leading many to wonder if the film will ever see the light of day. Nevertheless, Marvel Studios continues to insist that it is dedicated to making the film happen, even if it takes longer than expected. As the movie inches closer to production, it can learn several important lessons from the failure of Blade: The Series.

The Blade spinoff series did not let up on the action, which was a major element that made the original trilogy successful. Fans of the character want to see Blade in intense combat, fighting off villainous vampires and their familiars in epic fight sequences that rival those of the original films. Reports claim that the scrapped original scripts for the Blade reboot were woefully devoid of action sequences, with only one or two big fight scenes in the entire movie. This is something that would doom the film immediately, and that has hopefully been worked out in the new drafts. Additionally, the biggest hurdle to any new Blade film is the absence of Wesley Snipes. This was a chief struggle of the series, which did its best to establish a new Blade but could never convince audiences that he was better than or even equal to Snipes's version. Mahershala Ali has a steep hill to climb if he wants to prove himself as this character. Marvel's Blade reboot needs to focus heavily on Blade himself, giving him a chance to come out from the long shadow that Snipes casts. Rumors that the film will be a two-hander starring Blade and his daughter are concerning for this reason. Mahershala Ali needs a chance to shine in his own solo film if he ever has a hope of living up to his predecessor.

Blade: The Series is a long-forgotten addition to Wesley Snipes's original trilogy, but the canceled series is still relevant today. Not only does it do an excellent job of expanding the franchise's lore, but it also offers several lessons that Marvel Studios could desperately use today as it struggles with its upcoming reboot.

Blade (Wesley Snipes) is unsheathing the s

word on his back on the poster for Blade.