# Blade (franchise)
**Blade** is an American superhero action-horror film franchise based on the [Marvel Comics](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvel-comics) vampire hunter Eric Brooks, produced and distributed by [New Line Cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-line-cinema) as a trilogy released between 1998 and 2004 and starring [Wesley Snipes](https://www.edgepedia.org/wesley-snipes) in the title role.[1](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3729231621/) • [2](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade) The three films earned a combined $418,199,347 worldwide on a combined budget of $164 million, and the first film's success is widely credited with helping to establish the commercial viability of Marvel film adaptations.[3](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blade-started-a-revolution-was-abandoned-by-marvel-1135703/) A reboot for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, announced in 2019 with Mahershala Ali, has been repeatedly delayed and removed from Disney's release schedule in October 2024 without ever being filmed.[2](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Films | Blade (1998), Blade II (2002), Blade: Trinity (2004), all distributed by New Line Cinema[1](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3729231621/) |
| Star | Wesley Snipes as Eric Brooks[2](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade) |
| Directors | Stephen Norrington, Guillermo del Toro, and David S. Goyer; Goyer wrote all three screenplays[2](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade) |
| First film's role | The first of Marvel's late-1990s studio licensing experiments after its bankruptcy[4](https://mediacommons.org/imr/2018/05/31/blade-and-foundations-marvel-superheros-movie-empire) |
| Rights history | Rights reverted to Marvel in August 2012 after New Line's sale to Warner Bros.[2](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade) |
| Reboot status | Announced July 2019 with Mahershala Ali; two directors exited and the film was removed from Disney's schedule in October 2024, never having been shot[2](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade) |
## Origins in comics
Blade comes from Marvel Comics, where the character hunts vampires. In the 1990s Marvel published a noir-inspired Blade comic series by Don McGregor in which the character fought vampires in New Orleans.[5](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/halloween-spooklight-blade-in-the-90s) The films drew on this comic universe: [Blade: Trinity](https://www.edgepedia.org/blade-trinity) introduced characters from Marvel's Tomb of Dracula comics, and its casting of [Ryan Reynolds](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-reynolds) is credited with helping launch the actor toward the later Deadpool films.[3](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blade-started-a-revolution-was-abandoned-by-marvel-1135703/)
## Films
**Blade (1998).** Directed by Stephen Norrington and written by [David S. Goyer](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-s-goyer), the film was rated R for gore, brief sexuality, language, and strong violence, produced by Amen Ra Films, and released wide on August 21, 1998.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1083484-blade) It opened in 2,322 theaters with $17,073,856 and grossed $70,087,718 domestically.[1](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3729231621/) Despite mixed reviews, it earned a positive audience reception and has since gained a cult following as one of Snipes' signature roles.[7](https://archive.org/details/blade_202210/BLADE.ISO)
**Blade II (2002).** [Guillermo del Toro](https://www.edgepedia.org/guillermo-del-toro) took over as director for the sequel, released March 22, 2002. It opened in 2,707 theaters with $32,528,016 and grossed $82,348,319 domestically, the trilogy's highest domestic figure.[1](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3729231621/) Worldwide it earned over $155 million, making it the most commercially successful installment, and it was praised for its direction and action despite mixed reviews.[8](https://collider.com/how-to-watch-blade-trilogy-streaming-netflix/)
**Blade: Trinity (2004).** Goyer moved from screenwriter to director for the third film, released December 8, 2004, adding Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel, Dominic Purcell, Parker Posey, and [Triple H](https://www.edgepedia.org/triple-h) to the cast.[8](https://collider.com/how-to-watch-blade-trilogy-streaming-netflix/) It opened in 2,912 theaters with $16,100,000 and grossed $52,411,906 domestically.[1](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3729231621/)
## Production and creative control
New Line Cinema produced and distributed all three films, each with a different director: Stephen Norrington on the first, Guillermo del Toro on the second, and David S. Goyer on the third, with Goyer having written all three screenplays.[2](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade)
## By the numbers
The trilogy was profitable on modest budgets throughout. Blade cost $45 million and grossed $131.2 million worldwide; [Blade II](https://www.edgepedia.org/blade-ii) cost $54 million and grossed $155,010,032; Blade: Trinity cost $65 million and grossed $131,977,904.[9](https://me.ign.com/en/movies/216350/feature/25-years-later-blade-is-still-marvels-secret-weapon) Blade holds a 57% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 107 reviews, averaging 5.92/10.[7](https://archive.org/details/blade_202210/BLADE.ISO)
## Style and place among comic films
Blade occupied a niche apart from the mainstream comic adaptations of its era: an R-rated action film closer to horror than science-fantasy, designed for genre fans rather than mainstream audiences.[4](https://mediacommons.org/imr/2018/05/31/blade-and-foundations-marvel-superheros-movie-empire) Its visual style proved influential. Slow-motion CGI of the kind later named "bullet time" by [The Wachowskis](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-wachowskis) appeared in Blade before [The Matrix](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-matrix), which debuted six months after it, popularized the term.[3](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blade-started-a-revolution-was-abandoned-by-marvel-1135703/) • [8](https://collider.com/how-to-watch-blade-trilogy-streaming-netflix/) The Matrix and the [Underworld](https://www.edgepedia.org/underworld) series were stylistically very similar to Blade, which helped popularize a moody leather-clad action aesthetic.[8](https://collider.com/how-to-watch-blade-trilogy-streaming-netflix/) Snipes' depiction of Blade also set the stage for later action-horror leads such as Milla Jovovich's Alice in Resident Evil (2002) and Kate Beckinsale's Selene in Underworld (2003).[3](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blade-started-a-revolution-was-abandoned-by-marvel-1135703/) Its narrative template, a villain seeking to replicate the hero's powers, was later used in X-Men (2000) and Spider-Man (2002).[3](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blade-started-a-revolution-was-abandoned-by-marvel-1135703/)
## Influence and legacy
Blade was the first of Marvel's late-1990s experiments licensing its characters to film studios after the company's bankruptcy, and its success laid the groundwork for Marvel's later dominance in film.[4](https://mediacommons.org/imr/2018/05/31/blade-and-foundations-marvel-superheros-movie-empire) It was only the second Marvel property to receive a wide theatrical release, after [Howard the Duck](https://www.edgepedia.org/howard-the-duck), and for Marvel, still operating on shaky financial ground, it was a crucial lifeline.[9](https://me.ign.com/en/movies/216350/feature/25-years-later-blade-is-still-marvels-secret-weapon) Its $131.2 million worldwide gross gave Marvel Enterprises leverage in Hollywood as it rebuilt.[3](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blade-started-a-revolution-was-abandoned-by-marvel-1135703/)
The franchise also holds a distinct place as an early Black-led superhero series. the [Marvel Cinematic Universe](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvel-cinematic-universe)'s first seventeen films centered white male protagonists, while its greatest early financial success was a Black superhero.[4](https://mediacommons.org/imr/2018/05/31/blade-and-foundations-marvel-superheros-movie-empire) Blade brought the unmasked superhero to the forefront and was one of the first successful comic-book films to feature a person of color in the lead, opening the door for later films such as Black Panther.[8](https://collider.com/how-to-watch-blade-trilogy-streaming-netflix/)
The 1998 film's hip-hop soundtrack, released August 25, 1998 by TVT Records and [Epic Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/epic-records), peaked at #36 on the Billboard 200 and #28 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart; the British techno band The Prodigy was approached for the score but declined due to other commitments.[7](https://archive.org/details/blade_202210/BLADE.ISO)
## Other media and rights history
The franchise extended beyond the films. The films also spawned multiple video game adaptations.[9](https://me.ign.com/en/movies/216350/feature/25-years-later-blade-is-still-marvels-secret-weapon) A planned 2015 Blade comic series by writer Tim Seeley, announced at San Diego Comic-Con, never moved forward after Seeley stepped down.[3](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blade-started-a-revolution-was-abandoned-by-marvel-1135703/)
The rights path ran through corporate consolidation. New Line Cinema was sold to Warner Bros. in 2008; no further Blade film was made there, and the rights reverted to Marvel in August 2012.[2](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade) At the time Marvel Studios had regained the rights, it had no immediate plans for the character.[3](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blade-started-a-revolution-was-abandoned-by-marvel-1135703/)
## Reboot and what has changed since 2023
Marvel Studios announced the reboot at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019, with Mahershala Ali cast as Eric Brooks.[2](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade) Development then stalled repeatedly: director Bassam Tariq exited in September 2022, and his successor Yann Demange exited in June 2024. The film was never shot.[2](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade)
## References
1. [Franchise: Blade, Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3729231621/)
2. [Blade: Die Reihenfolge aller Filme und das Aus für den MCU-Reboot, SciFiScene](https://www.scifiscene.de/marvel/charakter/blade)
3. ['Blade' Started a Revolution and Then Was Abandoned by Marvel, The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blade-started-a-revolution-was-abandoned-by-marvel-1135703/)
4. [BLADE and the Foundations of Marvel Superhero's Movie Empire, In Media Res](https://mediacommons.org/imr/2018/05/31/blade-and-foundations-marvel-superheros-movie-empire)
5. [Halloween Spooklight: Blade in the '90s, Marvel.com](https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/halloween-spooklight-blade-in-the-90s)
6. [Blade, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1083484-blade)
7. [Blade (1998) film record, Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/blade_202210/BLADE.ISO)
8. [How to Watch the Blade Trilogy: Where is it Streaming?, Collider](https://collider.com/how-to-watch-blade-trilogy-streaming-netflix/)
9. [25 Years Later, Blade Is Still Marvel's Secret Weapon, IGN](https://me.ign.com/en/movies/216350/feature/25-years-later-blade-is-still-marvels-secret-weapon)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Superhero and comic-franchise film entries › Comic films before 2000*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license