It’s looking like Deadpool could end-up making $115 million domestically it’s opening weekend, with an estimated $58 million production budget the film will end-up being a huge success story. The R-rated X-Men spin-off could eventually earning more worldwide than Marvel’s Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Ant-Man. This could light the fire under the Marvel Studios to consider brining back the first successful Marvel character, who just happened to have a string of R-rated movies, that being the iconic Blade.
The Wesley Snipes starring film from director Stephen Norrington released in 1998, become the first successful Marvel movie, two years before X-Men that Kevin Feige helped to produce. The current head of Marvel Studios would eventually get a co-producer credit on Blade: Trinity.
Straight Outta Compton, is another example of a successful R-rated film from last year, it was made for $28 million earning over $200 million during a crowded summer of blockbusters. It was also number one for three weekends, proving a strong rating doesn’t scare-off audiences anymore. Other examples include Mad Max: Fury Road and John Wick, two recent well made R-rated action films that audiences went crazy over.
We’ve heard multiple times over the years that Marvel has been considering a new Blade project.
There had been word that from Hollywood Reporter in 2013, that Marvel had a new Blade script in-development, which was created in-house, not unlike how the bulk of the films start out at Marvel. It was also around the same time we learned the film rights had reverted back to the studio.
Beyond that, the company is tight-lipped about its plans. Marvel has a writing program it uses as a concept generator and has scripts for Blade and Ms. Marvel features, for example.
It might be odd that Marvel wanted to bring back Blade, considering how against they’ve been about making R-rated films. However, their mature television series Daredevil and Jessica Jones on Netflix have become huge hits, revealing that there is a hunger for more adult comic book material. The success of Deadpool and Kingsman is yet more confirmation of this, on the movie side of things. Basically, there’s an audience for R-rated Marvel films, so it’s odd the studio hasn’t capitalized on this segment that isn’t really being addressed. It could be they had been testing the waters for more mature films with the Netflix series, but now seems like a good time to open up a Marvel Knights divsion at the studio. Tackling lower budgeted films targeted at a mature audience, who is willing to support these types of films.
Marvel did attempt an R-rated film with their co-production with Lionsgate’s Punisher: Warzone from director Lexi Alexander which didn’t do well at release, but has gained a large cult following. The film looked like it was a giant influence on the look of their Daredevil series, cinematography was lifted directly from the movie for the series. However, the film didn’t have direct ties to the MCU, so it’s not considered apart of the universe.
Although, if they brought back Wesley Snipes it could mean that Blade would be established as the first installment in the MCU.
Bleeding Cool revealed a rumor that there could be new a Blade project (movie, television, or both) with him in a mentor role to his new comic book daughter Fallon Grey taking over the mantle. Not unlike Jessica Biel’s Abigail Whistler in Trinity, who was the daughter of Whistler brought-up to kill vampires as well with the spin-off team The Nightstalkers, which also included Deadpool‘s Ryan Reynolds, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D‘s Patton Oswalt.
We’ve been championing Mad Max: Fury Road and X-Men: First Class actress Zoe Kravitz to take the Fallon role. Fallon Grey leading her own film would be super-progressive, as she would be the first Marvel comic book film to be led by a woman of color, something a bit more important to put on screen, rather than on television. It would also help destroy the studio myths created by the awful Catwoman film starring Halle Berry, mainly, women of color not being able to handle leading big studio projects.
Snipes has confirmed active meetings with Marvel about future of the character, and led us to believe Blade 4 could be a possibility.
Idris Elba, admitted in 2010 talking to Marvel about other roles he could play, including Blade, Luke Cage, and Black Panther. Elba becoming such a desirable actor, and his fan-driven Bond campaign, you’d think the studio would find a way to give him leading role. While he was apart of the Thor films he was apart of the Ghost Rider sequel, so it wouldn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
“I wouldn’t mind having a crack at bringing Blade back, personally”
He’s not the only actor to proclaim a desire to play the Daywalker.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Attack The Block‘s John Boyega, mentioned in an interview about his dream to have Wesley Snipes potentially handing down the torch to him as the new Blade. Being apart of one the largest films of all time, which was also a Disney project could give Marvel some ideas about taking him up on that.
“I don’t know there’s loads, there’s Black Panther, there’s Blade, they want to do a Blade reboot. If Wesley Snipes handed the baton to me, that’d be good.”
The hope is that with Ike Permutter out of the picture when it comes to films, it could allow Feige to move forward with things like a new Blade movie. Only time will tell, along with fans pressuring Marvel to give us more Blade.