The Blade Trilogy: Revisiting Wesley Snipes's Iconic Daywalker

As far as superhero movies go, very few are quite as important as the Blade trilogy. The fact is, when the franchise began in 1998, superhero films were largely seen as a joke. Batman and Robin put an end to the DC film series in a major way, and Bryan Singer’s X-Men was still a ways off. New Line took a big risk making a movie out of Marvel’s half-vampire hero, with them even going so far as to turn it into an R-rated vehicle for action hero Wesley Snipes. Before it came out, people assumed it would just be a routine New Line action movie, in the vein of Mortal Kombat or Spawn, but it wound up being a significant hit. It was followed by an even bigger sequel, Guillermo del Toro’s Blade II, before the franchise case to a premature end with Blade: Trinity.
In this deep dive, we take a chronological look at the franchise, from its early days as a mid-level New Line movie, through it becoming a franchise and, eventually, going disastrously awry. With a Marvel reboot on the way (eventually) now is the perfect time to revisit this iconic series.
Which Blade movie is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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#Blade #WesleySnipes #bladetrinity

[@ryanhau1073]

"There’s only been one Blade. There will only ever be one Blade!”

[@earthman117]

That’s awesome

[@nbarealtalker]

I’ve still got my life size Blade Trinity cardboard stand from when I worked at Blockbuster in high school 🙌

[@HellfireClub242]

Blade 1 and 2 were excellent. Trinity was poor, considering that the movie sidelined Blade. The movie was motivated too much on the Nightwalkers. I'm glad that Snipes came back for Deadpool 3.

[@mr.iiconic]

The Nightstalkers also sucked. It was just Hannibal King, they ignored Frank Drank and made up an OC. Nightstalkers 1992 was a great comic and debuted the Blade that we saw in the movie.

[@lessthantom2]

The nightstalkers were lame and so was Dracula. He was a boring villain with a subpar actor playing him. Adding the reaper feature to Dracula was also really stupid. It made no sense and I'm sure they only did it since the reapers were such good enemies of the second film.

[@mr.iiconic]

@@lessthantom2 oh my god I didn't even mention how they butchered Dracula too

[@kerry-j4m]

How you seen the old tv series-THE-STRAIN ???

[@ayooluwaa1]

Fact and well said 💯

[@wstine79]

It's great that Blade is getting his much deserved recognition. I've been a fan of these movies, even Trinity at times.

[@nickamalfitano3613]

Trinity gets alot of undeserved hate.

[@veecambo2124]

Lots of ppl forgot that it was Wesley that save marvel

[@EddieBloecher]

When Blade came out I actually had to inform about 80% of my friends and coworkers that he was actually a comic book character. Lol

[@codyclingan9764]

I'm with Ryan Reynolds we need one last blade movie with Wesley kinda like a Logan send off for blade

[@mr.iiconic]

I think less is more. These movies have a legendary 90's/00's charm you can't recreate and if you tried it'd just feel empty. Plus, why would we just make a Logan film reskinned with Blade? We already have Logan. If they HAVE to do a Blade 4, and I think it'd be a bad idea, it should be a completely new take. Nothing like Logan, or it'll just be compared to Logan and nothing is gonna beat Logan.

[@Lykoii4]

Naaa we need a series . this should not end like that

[@lindamasha3552]

Why does blade need a send off but Logan doesn't

[@mitchtas5138]

We need it again. But it needs to be old school. No sensitivity

[@quamifilms]

AGREED!!!!

[@shoua7]

I may be in the minority, but Blade 2 is NOT better the Blade 1. The original was the best.

[@Bardim18]

I even consider Blade 2 the worst film in the trilogy, another minority.

[@noshadow284]

I agree. I think Blade 1 is far superior to Blade 2.

[@aureliom.banderajr.1070]

You're right, You are in the minority😂.

[@nah9538]

I’m part of an even smaller minority…Trinity was my favorite Blade film but if I’m not being biased the first film was the best.

[@jonathancurran5366]

Agree, I've never met anyone IRL who thinks Blade II is better than Blade.

[@mikeyfn-a6684]

Favorite deleted scene. Drac.:"I was there...when they crucified him" Danica:"I was at Woodstock" 😂 Damn I still love Parker Posey 😍😍😍

[@jonathancurran5366]

Interesting, I must look it up. It sounds very similar to a scene in Buffy with Spike from years earlier.

[@mikeyfn-a6684]

@@jonathancurran5366 Definitely catches you off guard to hear that with all that makeup on and somewhat serious tone of the scene 😂

[@Leandro-X.2024.Alkebulan]

Everyone trying to get views off of Blade now lol. Ya'll ain't loyal. Only because he is lit now, but just a sec ago he weren't on your minds, but he's been in the minds of real fans tho, always been the talk of the conversation. Real ones NEVER forgot Blade, we've been demanding more Blade movies and series since like forever!

[@MykalJohnsonENT]

Facts bro.....blade has always been the man.... bandwagoners everywhere

[@mr.iiconic]

I mean TBF, most of Blade's "fans" are just Wesley Snipes fans who don't know anything else about the character and want the reboot to be terrible so they can say "see? Wesley IS Blade!" Ignoring all the great comics that came before and after. I love Wesley btw. I'm just saying, how can you say you're a Blade fan and yet the moment you hear of a new Blade movie immediately pray that it fails?

[@davidgeorge3944]

Damn right there. He was the man when I was a kid. I wished we had more great movies like blade and blade 2. I enjoyed trinity but again I was a kid so anything blade was cool to me. And him killing Dracula could of been amazing but they scuppered it, but as a kid you still love it because.. Well come on, it's more Wesley snipes Blade lol

[@lamontrob9125]

Facts facts but I’m here for them giving him his flowers but it’s sucks it took this long

[@Jabcdef816]

Tbh I only watched it this year for first time an I’m not into no marvel stuff but blade 1 and 2 r my favourite action films

[@mudejartrainingnaturalscie6938]

Blade was a martial arts film disguised as a horror film at a time when both were on a decline in popularity.

[@Bardim18]

No, Blade was a superhero film disguised as both a horror and a martial arts film, and it popularized all three again for years to come.

[@iamdevilboy5976]

The first 2 Blade films were the best, the third I like it, but it’s not on the same level of the first two films. The third deserved better. Blade put Marvel on the map

[@jeffdoyle1227]

Is there anybody else who didn't know Blade was a comic book character until like 10 years after the movies came out?

[@Bardim18]

Me. I learned that Blade was a comic book character when he and Whistler showed up in the Spider-Man TAS. My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw that for the first time.

[@vierapride97x]

5:11 , okay I see Jeff Bridges now 🤣🤣

[@hitmanmonaghan6633]

I first saw the behind the scenes segment on Entertainment Tonight. Later I saw him on an episode of Spider-Man from the 90’s. That movie opening is just amazing. Anyone else freak out when Blade popped up in Deadpool and Wolverine?

[@aj383]

I'm so glad they didn't spoil Blade, Johnny and Gambit in the marketing. The first time I felt like a kid while watching a movie since the '90s.

[@DavidNovak13]

Wesley Snipes "I don't like you" Ryan Reynolds "You never did"

[@LoganWood121]

Blade and Punisher 89 are still my top Marvel films.

[@warmachine9846]

I have to agree with your critique of Blade 3 it fell flat right after they rescued him from FBI custody.

[@harveyknws1]

What about the deleted scene where they added werewolf hunting? Blade 3 wasn’t my favorite by any means, but that could have been something they could have done to the plot of the third film.

[@markmagician2471]

"There's only gonna be one Blade"

[@charliecane3621]

I Salute you. Great video on one of my favourite films. Inspiring film that made way for a lot of movies and how there action is set.

[@hustlersuniversity2412]

Still the best MCU movies ever made

[@mr.iiconic]

These are MCM not MCU

[@ochayethenoo]

That's Reed Richards level of reaching there man.

[@seige8621]

41:16 the one i watched recently, blade was the one they found and he woke up and fought his way out. The one i watched years back when it released is this one youre referring to

[@mudejartrainingnaturalscie6938]

To be fair the arrow broke through a window first making it detectible to anyone who can hear it and vampires do have super hearing.

[@MsDavisPhotography]

I truly enjoyed this. Blade I and II were so enjoyable. Trinity could have been so much better, but hey, we got to see a really ripped Ryan Reynolds.

[@mortalkombatarcadelover4479]

Blade gave dark comic book movies a comeback. David Goyer continued it with The Dark Knight Trilogy.

[@tkmmkt6569]

The original blade was fantastic movie.

[@warmachine9846]

I never liked the Mandeville design for the vampire Jaws for the Reapers that went on to be the vampire God in Blade 3. I just don't like that mandible design at all unless it's on a predator

[@meltedcopper9247]

Ali will never be blade... feige hust didn't control the TV branch and spite cast cottonmouth. Now that he owns the TV branch the joke has past and everyone but ali knew the entire time

[@mr.iiconic]

I will say that the comment about it being "nice" to see a marvel movie in its own continuity is weird. I agree with the other points about post credits scenes but I'll nevermind understand why people treat the universe aspect of marvel like some tired played out gimmick, its LITERALLY just the default state of these characters. They're meant to share a world, it isn't a gimmick.

[@Bardim18]

Exactly, that was Stan Lee's whole purpose back in the 60s, to create a shared universe where all sorts of heroes and creatures coexist. That's the beauty of it. I first found out that Blade is a comic book character when he and Whistler showed up in the 90s Spider-Man TAS, thanks to the shared Marvel universe. Had it not been for the shared comic book universe idea, some cool but obscure characters like Blade or Ghost Rider wouldn't probably be as well known as they are today.

[@mr.iiconic]

@@Bardim18 exactly. That's why Fantastic Four next year is so exciting, they need to be finally done justice because they kicked off the Marvel Universe

[@Bardim18]

@mr.iiconic That was why we were excited back in 2008 when the MCU kicked off, we would get our favorite heroes to interact with each other just like in the comics.

[@Bardim18]

Unlike the vast majority here, I consider Blade 2 as the worst film of the trilogy rather than Trinity. Blade teaming up with vampire mercenaries, and hooking up with the vampire princess, who by the way dies in sparkles when exposed to sunlight instead of exploding and set aflame like the vampire lord from the first film, seemed stupid to me and out of character for Blade, considering that his hatred for vampires is borderline fanatical. He even hates himself for being a half-vampire. I do admit that I liked Nomak as a villain, and he feels reminiscent of Morbius, but I was never able to sympathize with him, given that even before his mutation he still was a regular vampire.

[@dustinburkhart8526]

I loved blade man he was my favorite superhero by far and i remember him on spider man

[@ayooluwaa1]

Was 8 (yea that old now) was at my uncs place and watched Blade 1 several times.This was mind blowing at the time...Oh my unc got so many shawtys cause why? They be like ooooh I’m so cute (the chubby face) and then he gets laid. These memories are happy and engraved in a good way...Oh trust I was a brat but that ninja will always be the man....From 🇳🇬 with ❤️.Wesley is the 🐐💯...Blade 2 is and will always be the best for me.Blade 3 no (we don’t speak on that.) 17:31

[@DaKrimzonEmpire89]

So let me get this straight Dracula reacts to the sound of the glass shattering, catching the arrow, but when Blade sneaks him stabbing him with the arrow it's a problem? Make that make sense

[@RiskyCrypto365]

Theres is only 1 Blade.... (wesley snipes voice)

[@williewhite1161]

I catch a lot of flack when I say this...but Stepen Dorff's portrayal of Decon Frost is the best villain out of all 3 Blade movies. I thought he almost rivals Heath Ledger's Joker character.

[@madelinekurtz2243]

He’s SO GOOD

[@jakebiomask]

He's widely considered the best villain of the trilogy, although Nomak is also a great tragic villain.

[@Whodat]

We always called Blade: Trinity “Ryan Reynolds’s audition to play Deadpool”

[@OrphanCrippler1]

Its the only character ryan reynolds can play. He has this same exact persona in all his films. Look at van wilder. Any of them. Somehow he gets a pass, but the rock etc dont.

[@irvingramirez2335]

If marvel studios is smart they should call Weasley back and allow Ryan help make it

[@johnjstamos3996]

Which Weasley? Arthur, George, Ginny, or Bill?

[@quamifilms]

@@johnjstamos3996🤣😂🤣😂☠️

[@irvingramirez2335]

@@johnjstamos3996 whoops 😅💀

[@sparkodademonpopskul9562]

We need a blade game for the ps5 asap pleaseeee

[@jashonharris]

Being a HUGE Blade fan, so much so that I watch HELLA KZbin videos about it it seems y’all share scripts. 85% of the videos say the same exact thing about Steven Dorf. Word for word, bar for bar *Soulja Boy Voice*

[@dandockham3793]

Don’t hold your breath for an MSheU hit!!! Disney has pretty much destroyed everything it has touched over the last 10 years

[@9chilidog]

There's absolutely no reason to have this Ali guy as blade. Do two more Wesley snipes movies and hire a young guy to continue it.

[@anthonyamurri9278]

Ryan didn't know who deadpool was during blade trinity

[@AztecaAguilar04]

Ironically, BLADE was the one to bring Marvel to relevancy in film. Thanks to New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. And no one ever mentions that, Since WB owns DC comics.

[@nickamalfitano3613]

Blade:Trinity gets so much underved hate.

[@joeyrostron89]

They really just went let’s make Batman Bruce Joe Chill Blade Deacon Frost

[@EddieBloecher]

Do a movie in all CGI and its called Jeepers Creepers 4. Lmao

[@MISCDesigns]

37:51, Draaake? **Soulja Boy voice **

[@jaredrobinson7071]

THere is still zero reason to replace Wesley Snipes as Blade.

[@mr.iiconic]

A new take. If you're a Blade fan, you'd be into it, but if you're are just Wesley Snipes fans who don't know anything else about the character and want the reboot to be terrible so you can say "see? Wesley IS Blade!" Ignoring all the great comics that came before and after, it's probably not for you.. I love Wesley btw. I'm just saying, how can you say you're a Blade fan and yet the moment you hear of a new Blade movie immediately pray that it fails because there's no Wesley? That's a Wesley fan, not a Blade fan. You like one version of the character, not the character itself.

[@jakebiomask]

​@mr.iiconic Noboy gave a shlt about the Blade comics. He would barely be known today If it wasn't for Snipes and his movies. And Mahershala Ali requested to play Blade in a Blade movie himself when Kevin Feige came calling. So if it wasn't for the original Blade movies, and Snipes performance, this new Blade movie wouldn't even be happening.

[@Lykoii4]

Idk what you talking out . the 3rd movie was good af

[@daveyadict_]

Man, I forgot how much I loved blade 1 and 2. At the time I loved 3 but looking back and watching it again later, it was bad.

[@DameSoWavyVevo]

Here me out , TREMORS trilogy might be top10

[@pepperidgefarmsremembers92]

You mean Blade and Blade 2...

[@cp7788]

They won't make the new film bcuz he doesn't fit the teeny bop disney team up formula. Characters like Blade, SPAWN, Old Man Logan, the Punisher all deserve their own "universe" not a watered down version..

[@MrVash104]

Ok does anyone know why blade didnt have his damn blade ?!

[@jolfer1334]

I'd rather see a Mojo movie rather than a Pearl one. If not his own movie make him a side character. As long as they don't fuck him up like they did to MODOK.

[@jasonaugustine3370]

The part about blade that never made any sense was people being born vampires? How the hell does that work? Not to mention the fact that if you kill all the humans like Deacon wanted to do then who’s left to eat

[@Bardim18]

Well, vampires can still have sex and mate with each other and have vampire babies. Frost's plan, he had homeless people frozen in cryosleep for food supplies. You can see some of them at the beginning of the film, right before the vampire club scene, and there's a deleted scene elaborating on that. The vampires had the same "final solution" in Trinity, when they brought back Dracula so that he turns them all into daywalkers.

[@zeetyg]

It’s no longer the MCU but really just the IronVerse since annoyingly inserted Iron Ma… my bad it was iron man in first phase.. then just becomes RDJ doing himself from his coke days. I really was hoping for the anonymous iron man without having it known to be RDJ.

[@OrphanCrippler1]

Ryan reynolds acts that way, because its all he can do

[@Lord-Darkness]

Man forgot the 1980s howard the duck movie

[@Open-MindedSkeptic]

One last Blade film starring the OG Wesley Snipes. He is the main protagonist not pushed the back. Then maybe Mahershala Ali's version can get made. He's been turning down scripts but I'm not hearing that he's actually participating in the writing process to make sure it hits all the points without wokeness.

[@genequist3859]

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but the way you explained this triggered a weird sort of hidden meaning, which makes me wonder about a cringey subliminal message on the part of the writers. Get this.. A white man named Whistler (dog Whistler?) taking a paternal role over a black man whose own father is unknown (until we realize that a white vampire is Blade's father, which gives him his power), and guiding that black man against his "beastly nature", so that he doesn't drain the life force from society, and guiding him toward fighting against that black man's "own race". Meanwhile that black man shows no emotions aside from anger while he tries to keep another white man from becoming a god. I'm not saying this was intentional on the writers' part, but maybe there was some gross kind of subliminal thing there. If so, yikes.

[@jinx1599able]

The reason drake lossed because he did have his family Michael

[@egads3696]

I liked the league of extraordinary gentlemen.wait....i liked the 13th warrior.is something wrong with me?

[@kerry-j4m]

No. As long as you enjoy these films and they entertain you,amigo,that's all that counts. God bless you

[@andrewah15]

Throughly enjoyed BLADE 1 & 2. 😎. I definitely don’t enjoy BLADE Trinity 👎🏾. I’m not looking forward to the new BLADE movie. It’s likely to be disappointing with the development hell that it’s been going through 🤦🏾‍♂️🙄

[@micmorgan84]

Blade was better than blade 2 and I’m tired of pretending it’s not.

[@JohnDoe-ih6mj]

nope MJW or Wesly can only be blade not the new guy they chose

[@lonceysvideos333]

the new blade will flop and let's be real, it's musical heart was trance and unless you liked trance, you more than likely wasn't going to watch it, along with unless you liked comic books the same

[@aaroncrocker4242]

base to the place...............