Reasons Behind the Blade Franchise Stalling After Blade: Trinity

Essential Highlights

The trilogy featuring Blade concluded with “Blade: Trinity,”with no verified plans for a fourth installment from Marvel.
Following “Trinity,”there were ideas for a prequel trilogy centering on Deacon Frost, along with a proposed Underworld crossover.
Although delays have hindered Mahershala Ali’s entry as Blade into the MCU, he might appear in other forthcoming projects, including “Midnight Sons.”

While films like Fox’s X-Men and Sony’s Spider-Man are known for pioneering the modern era of superhero cinema, Steven Norrington’s Blade often slips under the radar of Marvel film history. Between 1998 and 2004, Blade released a trilogy, with Blade: Trinity marking the conclusion of New Line Cinema’s series. Nevertheless, Marvel had more plans for the character thereafter.

After the successful reception of Steven Norrington’s initial installment, the sequel, Blade II, was helmed by Guillermo del Toro in 2002. Even before production on the sequel began, New Line Cinema had a deal with David S. Goyer to create a third film. While del Toro contributed conceptual artwork, Goyer took on the director’s role. Although Blade: Trinity grossed a respectable $132 million, plans for a Blade 4 ultimately did not materialize. Was there ever really a plan for it?

What Occurred Post-Blade: Trinity?

Despite being the least well-received film of the trilogy, Blade: Trinity was accompanied by rumors of off-screen conflicts and overall weariness from Snipes regarding the series. Its box office performance was comparable to the first film but lagged behind Blade II, which may have put the future of the franchise on shaky ground. It’s significant to highlight that there’s no substantial evidence indicating that a Blade 4 was actively pursued by New Line.

Confirmed were plans to extend the narrative through a different lens, with Norrington proposing a prequel trilogy that would delve into the story of Deacon Frost, originally portrayed by Stephen Dorff in 1998. Dorff expressed to The Sunday Mail in 2008:

“Frost is a character I have never been able to shake.”

According to Dorff, filming for this ‘new trilogy’ was slated to commence in 2009, though those plans never materialized. Additionally, actress Kate Beckinsale hinted at a potential crossover between the Underworld series and Blade: Trinity that never came to fruition. Ultimately, the rights to Blade would revert to Marvel from New Line in 2012.

Though Blade: Trinity signified the conclusion of Snipes’ tenure in the iconic leather jacket, his connection to Blade’s live-action legacy wasn’t entirely severed. Following Trinity, Goyer developed Blade: The Series for Spike, featuring Sticky Fingaz as the titular character. However, due to criticisms regarding the absence of Snipes and its generic vampire plotline, the show was canceled after just 13 episodes. Snipes later made a noteworthy cameo in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Snipes reflected on his return to the role, saying: “I did three of them, and I thought they turned out pretty good. Not so bad… So we move on to other things.”A surprising message from his Blade: Trinity co-star Ryan Reynolds reignited discussions about the possibility of reprising his role, prompting Snipes to comment:

“[When] you get a call from Ryan Reynolds out of the blue after 20 years, you go, ‘Okay, I got to take this call. Let’s see what this is about.’

In a cameo that felt right with the comedic spirit of Deadpool & Wolverine, Snipes shared the screen with notable characters like Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Dafne Keen’s X-23, and Channing Tatum’s Gambit, playing a small yet impactful role among the Void resistance battling against Emma Corrin’s underdeveloped Cassandra Nova. Although Blade’s future is uncertain, the film’s conclusion, featuring X-23 and a deleted scene indicating Gambit’s survival, suggests that Blade might have also escaped an encounter with Alioth.

Blade’s MCU Introduction Has Hit a Snag

Initially, after rumors spread about a Blade reboot script being in development for the MCU, Snipes expressed interest in returning to the role and conferring with the studio in 2015. However, after a prolonged silence, the reboot was eventually officially announced in 2019, though Snipes was not involved. Instead, Mahershala Ali was slated to take on the leading role. While Snipes holds a genuine affection for the character, he does not appear resentful, offering Ali some parting wisdom, stating:

“You need a lot of secret sauce to do the Blade thing, man. Good luck. You’re my man, though.”

Ali disclosed that there were initial discussions about the Blade reboot potentially being a television series before it evolved into a film. The production timeline has faced numerous delays, with challenges arising in securing a director and assembling a cast. Blade remains a project riddled with complications, akin to Armor Wars featuring Don Cheadle.

Regrettably, Disney has seemingly dashed hopes for the film with the removal of its release date, placing it on ‘indefinite hold.’ However, a silver lining exists in the news that Mia Goth is poised to portray Lilith. This twist is particularly ironic given Snipes’ cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, in which he alludes to the myriad of Punisher versions, asserting that “only one Blade”exists.

Yet it’s not all doom and gloom for Ali. While the standalone Blade film is stalled, there’s still potential for him to embody the character in various projects. He has technically made his mark in the post-credit scene of Eternals, and there are murmurs suggesting that a darker, magical venture tied to the Midnight Suns team could be on the horizon, allowing Ali the chance to collaborate with talents such as Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight, Kit Harington from Eternals, and Gael García Bernal’s Werewolf by Night.

While Snipes’ cameo was a perfect fit for the wit of Deadpool & Wolverine, some argue that his time with the character has largely concluded. Nonetheless, Ryan Reynolds is advocating for a Logan-like farewell for Blade, expressing that revisiting Snipes has reaffirmed the love for the character. Marvel has struggled to emerge from the shadow cast by Snipes’ portrayal for over ten years, yet aside from a potential return in Avengers: Secret Wars, it may be time for that chapter of the character’s history to rest.

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Image Credits: Gamerant.com