Although Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is often credited with establishing Marvel superheroes as viable properties for blockbuster franchises, it was actually Stephen Norrington’s Blade, starring Wesley Snipes as the titular vampire hunter, that started the trend. Snipes made the role his own, turning a middling comic book hero into a beloved icon.
After Norrington’s initial entry, Snipes starred in two sequels. The MCU is set to reboot the Blade franchise with Mahershala Ali in the role, but Snipes has left some pretty big boots to fill. Here are 10 fascinating details from the making of the Blade trilogy.
Denzel Washington And Laurence Fishburne Were Considered To Play Blade
When David S. Goyer first pitched a Blade movie to studio suits, they said that only three actors could play the title role: Denzel Washington, Laurence Fishburne, and Wesley Snipes. From the beginning, Goyer said that he knew Snipes was the perfect choice.
Fishburne had previously been considered for an ultimately unproduced Luke Cage movie and went on to appear as Perry White in the DC Extended Universe and as Bill Foster in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Stan Lee’s Cameo Got Cut From The First Movie
Long before it was an age-old tradition for Stan Lee to make a cameo appearance in movies based on Marvel Comics properties, he had a cameo in the first Blade movie that got cut. He would’ve played one of the police officers who arrived at the blood club and found Quinn’s body up in flames.
Wesley Snipes Signed Post-Its “Blade” On The Set Of Blade: Trinity
According to some stars of Blade: Trinity, Wesley Snipes wasn't exactly a peach to work with. He wanted to be referred to by his character’s name, and after clashing with David S. Goyer, Snipes began communicating with the director via Post-It notes. He signed these Post-Its “Blade.”
Whenever Snipes’ face wasn’t required to appear on-camera, he allegedly retreated to his trailer and forced his stunt double to perform those shots. He also allegedly accused Goyer of being a racist several times.
Guillermo Del Toro Trash-Talked David S. Goyer’s Blade II Script On The DVD Commentary
On the DVD commentary for Blade II, Guillermo del Toro says a lot of disparaging things about the work of screenwriter David S. Goyer. He points out all of Goyer’s dialogue that overuses exposition, although he enjoyed some of the more ridiculous examples, like “Now you’ve got an explosive device stuck to the back of your head!”
Throughout the commentary, del Toro also points to a couple of VFX shots containing primitive CGI effects that he wasn’t happy with.
Sony Prevented Morbius From Appearing In A Blade Movie
In the alternative ending for Blade, there’s a vampire on a rooftop who is teased as a villain for the sequel. This vampire was supposed to be Morbius, a vampiric supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe.
However, there were rights issues because Morbius belongs to Spider-Man’s cast of supporting characters, whose film rights are owned by Sony. Sony still has those rights, and is currently working on a Morbius movie starring Jared Leto.
Michael Jackson Almost Had A Cameo In Blade II
Michael Jackson was offered a cameo appearance in Blade II, and even agreed to do it. He was going to play a “vampire pimp” in the “House of Pain” set piece. Nyssa would’ve bumped into him while snooping around the upstairs hall.
However, Jackson had to drop out due to a scheduling clash and the role was played by a Czech actor local to the Prague filming locations instead. In the end, the whole scene was cut for pacing reasons.
Oliver Hirschbiegel Tried To Get Out Of Directing Downfall To Make Blade: Trinity
Before Blade: Trinity ended up in the hands of David S. Goyer, it went through a few different directors. The job was offered to German director Oliver Hirschbiegel, but he was committed to directing Downfall, a historical drama about Hitler’s last days.
Surprisingly, Hirschbiegel was eager to drop Downfall in order to direct Trinity, but he was unable to get out of his contract. It all worked out in the end, because Downfall went on to be an international hit.
The Studio Nixed Blade: Trinity’s Original Post-Apocalyptic Setting
The original plot for the third Blade movie was a loose adaptation of I Am Legend. It would be set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with vampires, and Blade would be struggling to protect the last survivors of the human race.
According to Patton Oswalt, the studio nixed this plot idea because executives deemed it to be too bleak and upsetting for a superhero blockbuster. Other sources have said that money was also a factor.
David Fincher Dropped Out Of Directing The First Blade Movie
David Fincher was initially set to direct Blade, but he dropped out in order to focus on other projects. At the time, Fincher had already directed Se7en, so he had the chops to helm a grisly, horror-tinged Blade movie.
Fincher’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club hit theaters about a year after Blade, so that’s probably the project he left Blade to pursue.
Wesley Snipes’ Prison Sentence Prevented A Fourth Blade Movie From Being Made
Despite the negative reception to Blade: Trinity, a fourth Blade movie was planned. However, Wesley Snipes was sentenced to serve jail time for tax evasion.
The studio was willing to wait for Snipes to be released, but they lost the rights to the Blade character in the middle of his sentence, making a fourth Blade movie an impossibility.