What Could Have Been: Blade

[@classicsonicthewild6051]

Fun Fact: Guillermo Del Toro And Neil Gaiman Pitched A Doctor Strange Movie Back In 2007, But Marvel Passed On The Project Because Doctor Strange Was Considered A Low-Priority Character At The Time

[@bobgarlen]

Apparently, it was going to be set in or around the 1920s.

[@moochietheassclown9656]

This would be a good one.

[@patrickbossio8044]

Very cool what if! Even if Marvel picked it up my hunch is Del Toro would’ve dropped out before production.

[@rushapa]

Need a series of all of Guillermo's cancelled projects 😢

[@heybrowhatup]

Marvel made the right call on that one.

[@Omar-wq9dz]

Blade is definitely the catalyst, then X-Men and Spider-Man would help solidify that

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

Blade saved marvel and opened the door for more gritty superhero films but Spider-Man’s enormous success opened the flood gates.

[@Adamkalb1]

@@Bulletsandblockbusters I should try doing a whole...trilogy review of all three of these pre-Cinematic Universe Marvel blockbusters made at the turn of the century, when visual effects/action choreography were much more advanced than they were a decade earlier in The Incredible Hulk Returns from 1988 and Captain America from 1990. It will be a very interesting multi-movie discussion: Blade from 1998, X-Men from 2000 and Spider-Man from 2002. So, what are your thoughts on Fantastic Four from 2005? I know it can not top Batman Begins from the same year, but do you still think Fantastic Four from 2005 and Rise of the Silver Surfer from 2007 are good or at least half-decent Marvel superhero films?

[@rtleeson]

Don’t forget the matrix too. Blades style was in the wake of bullet time. The Matrix was also a huge franchise and a sign of things to come.

[@jasonelliott7977]

@@Bulletsandblockbustersit was X-Men. After it became a success, all the studios saw dollar signs in their eyes and bought the film rights to anything that had been a comic book

[@peterramirez001]

I remember seeing this for the first time and being in awe of what I saw. A film that still holds up to this day. And the casting of Snipes was brilliant.

[@R1ch4d8]

It also helped that Blade came out in an era where vampire media and "action heroes" were still a big thing. Cos you had stuff like Buffy, Angel, Interview With the Vampire and From Dusk Till Dawn, and Blade combined all that with 90s blockbuster martial arts action.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

100% this is not discussed enough. Vampires were huge at the time.

[@R1ch4d8]

@@Bulletsandblockbusters Yeah cos being a Marvel product was pretty much the least important thing that Blade was marketed on. It was sold the same way a Stallone action movie was sold, or like Passenger 57 or Bad Boys, except here it was combined with a supernatural gothic style.

[@Wasupde]

@@R1ch4d8who cares it was successful regardless and it’s still marvel regardless of vampires being popular then a lot of vampires flooped too

[@R1ch4d8]

@@Wasupde Cos cultural context matters. Vampires and action movies were largely popular and Marvel films were the opposite of popular. You don't need to look for an argument in everything. "Flooped" lol, that just sounds fun.

[@blakebruce-clarke1215]

I feel like underworld was kinda big at this time. Idk I was like 8

[@Rezzanine]

Thanks for this. Blade is so often overlooked nowadays, so I'm glad you're reminding everyone of it significance.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

You bet!

[@pepperpeterpiperpickled9805]

Blade had bullet-time and wire-fu before the matrix. Blade also rocked the black coat better imo. Also, Blade is not just in a war, he's a hero. He chooses to save a little girl instead of chasing Frost.

[@charleslennon1]

Actually 'bullet time' was invented and first used in the "Lost in Space" movie.

[@pepperpeterpiperpickled9805]

@@charleslennon1 lost in space had the camera panning in a frozen time, bullet time is people moving at the same or similar speed to bullets. blade had frost dodging bullets/ bullet time first.

[@Anthonycheesman2024]

Blade 2 definitely copied matrix though lol.

[@pepperpeterpiperpickled9805]

@@Anthonycheesman2024 Id argue that either the matrix copied blade almost as much as it copied 'ghost in a shell' or that the matrix copied blade which copied the matrix (like how family guy copied the simpsons who later copied family guy)

[@DefaultProphet]

Eh he wasn’t happy about it though

[@bensneb360]

Blade has a very underrated soundtrack, whenever that techno kicks in, you can’t help it get pumped

[@jasonelliott7977]

That New Order track is awesome

[@dripfreddyfazbear1246]

Fun Fact: Wesley Snipes Wanted To Play Black Panther Ever Since Marvel Approached Him With The Project In 1992. John Singleton Was Briefly Considered As Director, But The Movie Never Materialized Due To Various Creative Differences. Wesley Snipes Would Later Go On To Play Blade In The Blade Trilogy And While He Always Kept His Interests In A Black Panther Film, It Never Happened Due To Disagreements Over The Script

[@davidjames579]

Was Wesley Snipes ever in mind to play Luke Cage? Singleton was planning a film of this at one point, as was Tarantino.

[@brigurugi]

I think Spawn from '97 softened the path for Blade to succeed and definitely should be mentioned in the conversation of Comic Book movie saving moves.

[@Wasupde]

But spawn flopped and blade had 2 really good movies.. not the same..

[@brigurugi]

@@Wasupde Spawn did not flop. $87mil on a $40mil budget.

[@EmperorGuyver]

​@@brigurugi It didnt exactly flop but it didnt do well neither. It dropped after the first weekend

[@brigurugi]

@@EmperorGuyver It also did extremely well on home video... I meant that it's mediocre success of an R Rated dark "hero" story paved the way to Blade and to some extent X-Men success and bad character CG(Spawn fighting Malbogia) Raimi's Spidey... 😬

[@oasisg9]

@@brigurugi it was rated pg-13

[@heybrowhatup]

Blade was a game changer and you can argue it also paved the way for the tone of the Nolan Batman films with Goyer writing Batman Begins. Stephen Dorf was a very underrated villain.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

💯

[@pepperpeterpiperpickled9805]

agreed! Frost was a great villain because he was an outsider like blade. frost he didnt fit in with vampire culture, he was deeply insecure about his place in the world so he wants to become a god. and the only time he snaps is when someone calls vampirism an std.

[@pepperpeterpiperpickled9805]

T Shelby, you are wrong

[@NebLleb]

Dorf's performance as Frost is honestly, one of the best love-to-hate characters in cinema. He's such a scumbag and by a certain point, you're actively rooting for him to meet his comeuppance... But he's so enjoyable to watch as he does his wicked deeds and brags about it that you can't help but relish in his delightful evil.

[@pepperpeterpiperpickled9805]

@@NebLleb I think we enjoy watching him because he has a goal and he's taking steps to achieve it.

[@janlehur4820]

I just have to get back here and say IT'S SURPRISINGLY GOOD TO HAVE HIM BACK!

[@Omar-wq9dz]

Speaking of Blade, I’m sure there will eventually be a Bullets & Blockbusters video about the MCU version, if it ever comes out, because of all the behind the scenes stories about delays and creative changes

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

Eventually!

[@MoaiGuy7537]

Who else is here after Deadpool and Wolverine?? I checked out the Gambit video as well

[@paulcastro769]

This Movie is one of the G.O.A.T.s of Comic Book Movies. I had never seen that Morbius scene before. Awesome

[@rushabhgautam1337]

You know it's a good day when Bullets and Blockbusters uploaded a video

[@FiendishDr_Wu]

I could’ve done with Morbius coming and Morbing things up. That would’ve been pretty cool honestly.

[@vandark]

I remember watching blade in spiderman the animated series, then that same day I saw the trailer at the movie theater and was so hyped for the movie that did not disappoint, I like to revisit that trailer from time to time

[@damianstarks3338]

Blade is childhood memories for me

[@stsolomon618]

Blade is the foundation of the mcu

[@sethbrundels]

This is why they should bring Snipes back in favor of a recast.

[@davidjames579]

Goyer also wrote the TV adaptation of Foundation

[@EggJump]

Blade does not get enough respect. He is my favorite Marvel character, and because of the movies, but now you barely even see him anywhere.

[@bennysunday907]

Wow! Just learned so much from this film. Had no idea that Robert Maizel (not sure if I spelled that right) had the idea for the MCU. Also never knew that Blade was much different in the comics beforehand

[@Hallowpool193]

Can you do what could have been hellboy III? It sounds interesting and goes well with Halloween. Great job btw looking forward to more Bullets and blockbusters.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

I’ll look into it

[@Hallowpool193]

Thanks looking forward to more

[@TurboMintyFresh]

Blade is still a fantastic movie I do forget it came out in the late 1998 as the look of the film feels very 2000s

[@ElectricEliminator5]

Blade was so good i saw it twice in theatres. Once at the local AMC and once at the universal City Walk when I was 14

[@kyresefleming983]

If done properly darker grittier Morbius would have been great inside of the Blade universe.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

💯

[@tonypine3434]

I was writing something back in 2017 that featured Morbius hiring Kraven the Hunter to capture Blade as he has been capturing people that he felt could cure him. The film announcements made me slow down, I did pivot morbius to be Dr Karen Jenson whose attempts at curing herself have led to her becoming a sort of Jekyll and Hyde character. Was also going to feature New Orleans and Brother Voodoo (and Steppin Razor) and start off in Japan. I was also going to have the Wakandans give Blade some gear an item of which appeared in Black Panther, which was a weird moment when I watched that and he used it (the power vest), thought a Vibranium sword would be good as well. I might still write it for my own amusement.

[@NebLleb]

Blade still holds up, and is more than worthy of the moniker of "the first good movie based on a Marvel property". It takes its source material seriously, whilst at the same time providing a top-tier action film with fantastic performances, set design, set pieces, fight choreography, and writing. Really, the main flaws are Traci Lords' acting as Frost's girlfriend, a climax that will come off as anti-climactic to some (though I felt it was a strong finale, personally), and although the director set out to make a Neo-Western, you don't exactly feel that Western tone as you watch it.

[@mattgilbert7347]

That's not Traci Lords. She's in the opening sequence. Dies at the blood rave. First kill, maybe.

[@stupidminotaur9735]

Stan Lee camoe was put in the vhs and dvd as a deleted scene can still watch it. saw it on youtube before it got taken down a few years ago.

[@baronvg]

I watched Blade in the theaters six times.

[@patrickbossio8044]

Great edit. Keep up the good work brother. Always appreciate the nuggets of info I didn’t previously know that you uncover. :)

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

Thanks! Will do!

[@Arkanaax]

Really enjoying the content on this channel. Always fascinating to learn about unrealised projects and alterations depending on who is attached to them. I have a future video request for 'What Could Have Been Alien 3'. With multiple screenwriters and directors attached to the project, it would be interesting to go over some of them, at least those with screenplays that were released publicly. I expect you have a busy schedule of upcoming videos but just a request.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

Thanks! Happy to have aboard. Alien 3 is high on the to do list so stay tuned

[@RingoLoadagain]

@@Bulletsandblockbusters I would love to find out more about why Disney decided to not let Ridley Scott make his third Prometheus film. Covenant was a bit of a letdown but it's still a great story worth concluding.

[@mike0o0animates11]

Incredible comeback

[@pepperpeterpiperpickled9805]

great video as always mate

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

Thanks again!

[@mrmadfunny5507]

This is absolutely amazing keep up the great work can’t wait to see more 🔥!

[@PJKP82]

Hey, Dolph as the Punisher was pretty cool. Take that message to your people!

[@FreeFree-ur4zq]

Seeing Wesley Snipes again in D&W reminded me how awesome he was as this character. The first one is the only film I actually enjoy, even though I think the main vampire is corny and wimpy. Bring on another Snipes BLADE movie!

[@chartaiwan]

Brilliant video. Should be longer

[@tomsegal2605]

This is amazing, I've learn so much about the movie industry. Thank you!

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

My pleasure

[@zacharyburau6657]

I never saw the sequels but I liked the first one, kinda has the vibe of that second Punisher with John Travolta. Good video, two in one weekend? Nice surprise

[@Sigmacenturion]

That Punisher movie was good though.

[@FRJ54]

Yes the legend returns with another video!

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

:)

[@srami004]

If there is one lesson that ought to be learned from Blade, it is to be authentic. Ensure that the character is about as close to the source material as it can be, or lose the fans support. It's why soo many comic films are unsuccessful. The unwillingness to go there, to be as true as it can be is what's missing.

[@MikeLitoris-is7cg]

Disney Plus cutting parody cameos (Doomcock in SheHulk, Ezra Miller in Echo) to "quiet the noise"

[@RingoLoadagain]

Except there's a whole section of the video that talks about all the things they changed and updated hahaha!

[@VFXking]

10:02 nice cut

[@samanthamarkle6923]

I grew up with the Arad Marvel films! Fun memories! They seem campy by today's Marvel movies, but have their high points!

[@SandyPole]

so many good points, i had to take notes!

[@Anthonycheesman2024]

I like blade but x men really was what started it all imo . A lot of people didn’t even know blade was a supehero lol.

[@teddykgb9971]

It's wild to see all this stuff I lived through recapped as a "secret history" or whatever for the kids today

[@mangaloveranix8412]

2:33-Don't forget about Toei Spider-Man, that show took inspirations from Spider-Man comics and Toei's live action hits like Super Sentai and Karmen Rider. That show would re-air in the early 2000s from TV Tokyo with toys by Bandai in the Marvel brand and Toei Spidey going to be in Beyond The Spider-Verse.

[@michaelwahl7810]

I liked the old Dolph Punisher. Well, i remember liking it. I haven't watch since 94 or so. I remember it was something about yakuza...almost no backstory...just a guy killing tons of people. Good clean fun.

[@ourdivinemouseoverlord3308]

Dude, I liked Howard the Duck.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

Haha guilty pleasure

[@johnashton4776]

Many people criticize The Punisher a very good movie the budget, yet the influence of Frank outfit was updated in the comics, the daggers on each side if his leg, turns out Boaz Yakin had more unarmed combat also the skull logo, Blade was darker than Punisher yet both movies were phenomenal Blade set a standard for the X-MEN, IRONMAN etc.

[@MyNameIsDanielYT]

Ive NEVER seen the Morbius clip before and ive watch soo many videos on Blade

[@GameEsthetics]

I never knew there was a Dolph Lundgren Punisher movie Great video as always B&B

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

Thanks!

[@Andrew-po8nt]

Blade is underrated af

[@blakelyhall8191]

"Acting Virtuoso" Dolph 🤣🤣

[@mattyboyb523]

Wow !!! I never knew this. Thank you. I’ve been wanting to watch the Blade trilogy again anyway so now I have another reason.

[@l-wolverine2211]

The more I think about it, the more it made sense. There were some Horrible movies from Marvel before Blade, with Howard the Duck(1986), The Punisher(1989), Captain America(1990), & The Fantastic Four(1994). I guess if Blade wasn’t that successful, Marvel probably would’ve gone Bankrupt at the time.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

💯

[@filmclips2023]

Are you going to do what could have been Zack Snyder's Wonder Woman (1854). Gal Gadot's Diana haunting Ares across the world battlefields with group of fighters: Samurai, African tribemen, Native American, British Indian soldier and so on.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

I’ll look into it

[@filmclips2023]

@@BulletsandblockbustersThank you 🙏 #synderverse

[@qhorton6743]

Underrated movie. Just bought it on 4K a few wks ago.

[@osmanyousif7849]

Who's here after Deadpool and Wolverine?

[@daverichards9141]

Top 10 comic film.

[@LukeLovesRose]

Blade white?? No fking way! And Whistler was a great addition. Blade directed by Fincher in his prime? That wouldve been very interesting

[@usagentgaming3079]

Blade is mixed race in the comics, idk about the films we never see his dad

[@andrewah15]

Great trivia about BLADE. I really enjoyed it when it came out. 😎😎

[@chris.shamblin]

I've always thought the Blade films were criminally under-appreciated. The third film is goofy but fun, and it helped launch two very successful stars with Reynolds and Biel. The first film is one of the most important comic book movies ever made for the reasons mentioned in the video (plus it showcased a Black superhero years before the MCU started doing so), and the second film is legitimately fantastic in virtually every aspect.

[@optimascrime5235]

It's kind of tragic that Blade helped out the MCU in the long run, then many year's latter when it came time for the MCU to adapt blade the script was so bad that the director quit and we haven't heard much from the movie since and the MCU itself has had more lows then highs recently

[@kevincruise3521]

YES!! Another B&B hit!

[@LukeLovesRose]

If we get the Fox X-Men back in the Secret Wars movie, i want to see Wesley Snipes return one last time as Blade

[@repulser93]

Good news, everyone!

[@Stablemable2]

The Blade film is boss. I wish Norrington did the sequels.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

Same here

[@Nightwolf11700]

goyer's work on blade was iconic.

[@gsmusic2009]

Blade was 100 percent ahead of itself it was so well done that the other Blade movies got worse instead of better even Tho Blade 2 was pretty cool but 3 was not good at all!!!

[@meltedcopper9247]

Blade just has to cameo in Deadpool 3.. even if its a post credit with blade just missing the action . He has to appear

[@davidjames579]

He already has in Eternals

[@meltedcopper9247]

​@@davidjames579 cottonmouth just got a fake blade deal because feige didn't control the TV branch at that time

[@roderick8167]

Yeah X-Men (2000) and Spider-Man (2002) often get more credit for starting the modern comic book movie boom but without Blade these two movies probably wouldn't have happened or would have taken longer to happen, Blade was the spark of fire that led to the flame of both X-Men and Spider-Man happening which eventually led to the MCU 🔥

[@damenicionscott]

I love blade

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

Same here

[@joeljuarez2828]

Perhaps you could make a few videos such as the Looney Tunes movies like Space Jam and Looney Tunes: Back in Action, The Road to El Dorado, and The Emperor’s New Groove?

[@O_mega_channel]

I have watched all 3 Blade movies except the fourth spinoff one, the first one was amazing but the next two were kind of stale, I did not know that Wesley Snipes was trying to do a black panther movie, that would be a good topic for one of your guys videos.

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

💯

[@crossmerc]

Shout out to Men in Black (1997), which never gets mentioned as a Marvel property in these conversations.

[@Makafushigi]

Because the comics were published by a different company and Marvel later bought that company, also it was a short series and wasn’t nearly as popular or well known as the movie. Most people don’t even know that there is a comic version and the MIB movies are practically separate from any other Marvel properties and the original comics.

[@freelanxe]

What about spawn?

[@parkerpshebnisky1051]

I love the first blade!👍👍🦇

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

Me too!

[@owlcircus6811]

This video was so well made, it took me until more than the halfway point to realize that this was NOT about the Mahershala Ali stuck in development hell. Maybe one day…

[@raymondtillotson6985]

Mad respect to the creators unwilling to change the character's race and respect his history and fans. Wish that mindset prevailed today. Cough Disney cough..

[@yahnatanlevi6894]

Marvel and star wars needs to get away from Disney

[@marlonclark-pp9wg]

yeah they're killing them

[@TheDarkwingj]

They should bring Wesley Snipes back for the MCU blade to pass the torch if it gets made

[@Clarence_Oddbody]

Traci Lords is the Mother of the MCU.

[@guanoguy4800]

Hey, that Dolph Punisher movie was awesome.

[@smellywolf]

hi can you do tremors i think it would be a good one to review

[@UtopssAKAPJ]

Does that mean Wesley Snipes's Blade is the real Marvel Jesus?

[@TheDrexLord]

I always find this fact so wierd. Marvel wasnt saved by spidey or the xmen or even the f4, no it was blade, the vampire hunter who nobody knew and needed to be changed so much from the comics in order to be cool

[@frankthepug9242]

The fact that Morbius was supposed to appear in a movie not just before Spider-Man, but in the first real Marvel movie, is incredible

[@elskeletor3566]

They should of never sold to Disney that was Marvels downfall

[@lucascoval828]

Still better than Black Panther. 😎

[@phantomfire8228]

4:00

[@Michaelengelmann]

WB keeps making great live action movies then doing a 180°. Christopher Reeves first Superman movies then they went to 💩. Same with Keaton’s first 2 & the DCEU. They botched BvS, SS1, & JL. While also (probably) redoing minor changes to other movies like BoP & WW84. Delayed Black Adam & Flash for years & had multiple writers & directors. When these studios don’t care or are too hands on but they aren’t fans of the characters/universe like their customers then the movies/shows suck so “comic book movies will never be good”

[@KasumiKenshirou]

Aside from the actors, Richard Donner was the only reason the first Superman was any good. Then they fired the guy and the rest of the movies were terrible. The exact same thing with Tim Burton and Batman. The entire DCEU was mishandled. Why the hell was Ezra Miller cast as The Flash? Even if he wasn't a criminal, he was horribly miscast and annoying.

[@Michaelengelmann]

@@KasumiKenshirou nah, I like Miller as Flash & WB ruined the DCEU by not letting the directors make their movies & botching them since 2016, reshoots & delays

[@mttylerdurden9]

I can't believe we almost got a David Fincher BLADE movie!

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

I love what we got but a fincher directed blade is also something I would have loved to have seen

[@davidjames579]

Have you heard how apparently he invited himself to the set after shooting began? Although people were thrilled to have him there, he supposedly spent so long and advising on how to make it, that Stephen Norrington who's quite a quiet English guy couldn't persuade him to leave even though Fincher was supposedly pissing off the crew by doing this. Northington had to ask Wesley Snipes to use his physical presence and Fincher's awareness of Snipes martial arts skills, to advise Fincher to leave and let them all get on with their jobs.

[@regonik]

Blade is easily better than at 80% of phased MCU. And it keeps getting better

[@supahgualtah]

just wish you wouldve talked about the alternative ending where the world ends (sounded sick)

[@jahtibacollins9454]

Was Blade Trinity a vast departure from what it could have been? It's so tonally different from the first two with it's humor. I wonder what it could have been.

[@ChristopherLono]

Any plans to tackle the unmade FF & X-Men crossover movie? Is there a story behind that?

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

I haven’t heard of a crossover but there’s def plans to cover FF

[@miguelbrymn3426]

Daredevil and Deadpool were also going to be in it. It would've been based on the Civil War storyline.

[@richardroberts6021]

I think you're going to be doing another one of these soon about what could have been: Mahershela Ali's Blade

[@Bulletsandblockbusters]

💯

[@obelix703]

Yes, Blade is based on a comic book, but its real strength was that it was accepted primarily as a vampire movie at the time (since most of the filmgoing public didn’t know much about the books).

[@kevinrivera6695]

Wesley Snipes was fantastic but Denzel Washington definitely would’ve nailed it 💯💯💯💯

[@johnpittsii7524]

❤ The Blade movie