The MCU Blade movie should retain the horror aspects that have always been fundamental to its title character. Prominent horror tropes, along with iconic Hong Kong-style fight scenes — the emulation of which may be the MCU Blade's toughest challenge — were crucial to the beloved Wesley Snipes Blade movies of the 1990s and early 2000s. Striking the balance between horror and action will no doubt also determine the success of the character’s re-entrance into the limelight with his 2023 reboot.
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Blade has always been a horror figure, first appearing as a supporting character in the Marvel comic The Tomb of Dracula. After rising to comic book prominence in the 1990s, Blade appeared in a trilogy of live-action films starring Wesley Snipes. While predominately action fare, they also feature heavy horror elements, including impressive amounts of R-rated blood and gore (which the MCU version of Blade can't have), memorable prosthetic and makeup work, and, from the second movie on, disturbing vampire variants with unhinging jaws.
Marvel Studios' Blade, with Mahershala Ali in the title role, should similarly include horror aspects. In fact, the 2023 release should go even further. The production may struggle to do so because, as a PG-13 movie, it will have to do away with much of the blood and gore that characterized the Wesley Snipes Blade trilogy. The MCU might do well to focus instead on more subtle horror tropes to produce tense atmospheres and imaginative horror sequences.
The MCU Has Already Shown It Can Find Success With Horror
Fans should not be concerned about the MCU’s ability to keep the fundamentally horrific nature of Blade intact. Indeed, the franchise is increasingly moving into the supernatural horror genre, and Blade won't even be the MCU's first vampire hunter. Marvel Studios has already proven that it can successfully adapt to the genre and incorporate horrific elements into its universe. A great example of this is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which features, along with much of the usual occult-inspired imagery, some satisfyingly gory moments. In one scene, the Scarlet Witch removes the mouth of Black Bolt, causing his super-powered voice to grotesquely shatter his own skull.
The most impressive example of horror in the MCU is in Moon Knight. The show features a veritable smorgasbord of well-executed horror tropes. With an ancient Egyptian theme running throughout, there are threats from mummies, wights, and werewolf-like jackal creatures. The show also heavily deals with themes of psychological horror and uses mirrors, flickering lights, and shadows to illustrate Marc Spector's psychological condition. The show also features some surprising body horror, with standout moments like a broken jaw and live organ removal by an echo-locating undead priest.
With this experience under their belt, the MCU will likely be able to do justice to the horror of Blade and its vampires. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Moon Knight give audiences a reason to be optimistic about the supernatural direction that the studio is heading in. Fan-favorite supernatural characters such as Blade, Werewolf by Night, and perhaps even Ghost Rider are set for center stage in the franchise's future, and taking inspiration from horror will continue to be an important task for the MCU.