As surprising as the announcements for The Eternals’ stellar cast and The Mighty Thor arriving in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through Thor: Love and Thunder were, the one headline that stole the entire Marvel panel in this year’s San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) was the reveal of Blade’s cinematic return. Starring Mahershala Ali as the titular vampire hunter, Blade is expected to join the MCU in Phase 5.
But as is expected, not everyone from the original cast will return. The next Blade will most probably bring a new host of characters, and we can’t help but feel nostalgic (and otherwise) for some of the vampires and humans from the original Blade trilogy. So in light of Blade’s coming return, here are the 6 characters we hope will return in the reboot and 4 we’d rather not hear from again.
Don’t Want: Dracula
The most famous vampire of all time is Count Dracula, who arguably shaped vampire fiction as we know it. So obviously, Dracula fought Blade in Blade: Trinity.
The problem with Dracula is that he’s overused and predictable. At this point, he fought almost everyone in pop culture and is even a cartoon character voiced by Adam Sandler. That, and Dracula (aka Drake) was just a boring meathead in Blade: Trinity. There’s little that can be done to rejuvenate Dracula, and Blade deserves new blood for his upcoming MCU debut.
Want: The Vampire Society
While they may not be the first of their kind in contemporary vampire fiction, the vampire society of the Blade trilogy is an intriguing interpretation of how the bloodsuckers have been mingling with humanity since the dawn of time.
Best represented by the blood god La Magra and the shadowy House of Erebus from the first movie plus the ancient Eli Damaskinos from the second one, the vampire world that operates from the shadows gives Blade a formidable yet indistinguishable foe to face. Compared to Dracula, these pureblooded elders are original takes on a familiar concept.
Don’t Want: Deacon Frost
In his first movie, Blade discovers that the vampire he’s hunting down is actually the cause of all his suffering. Deacon, a ruthless thug-turned-vampire (aka Turned-Blood), killed Blade’s mother thus turning him into the human/vampire hybrid he is today.
While his backstory and ambition are interesting, Deacon is a villainous walking cliché at best. His only methods of fighting Blade are to smugly condescend on him while endangering people he cares for, proving that those who keep trying to ice skate uphill aren’t as amazing as they think they are. Thankfully, he dies via explosion.
Want: Nomak and the Reapers
Conversely, Blade II featured antagonists that were more compelling yet horrifying than Deacon could ever be. The Reapers (led by Eli’s vengeful son Nomak) are notably tragic and monstrous thanks to being the results of Eli’s failed attempts at achieving vampiric immortality, turning them into feral creatures that put both vampires and humans in danger.
These nigh-feral vampires that were experimented on by their own kind – plus Nomak’s anger – gave the sequel equal amounts of dread and pathos, and they could do so again in Blade’s entrance into the MCU.
Don’t Want: The Nightstalkers
Though his name is in the title, it could be argued that Blade isn’t really the star of Blade: Trinity. The Daywalker was in fact playing second fiddle to the Nightstalkers: human vampire hunters that New Line Cinema wanted to make spin-off movies for by using Blade as a stepping stone.
While they do exist in the comics, their cinematic counterparts leave a lot to be desired. Regardless of the acting talent behind them, both Hannibal and Abigail are forgettable and generic character archetypes commonly found in action movies. Blade deserves better reinforcements in his comeback.
Want: The Bloodpack
Led by Nyssa, the Bloodpack is a team of pureblooded vampires trained specifically to kill Blade. No one is going to argue that the Bloodpack was the Dirty Dozen of its time, but they served their purpose and some in Blade II.
The group is comprised of no-nonsense elite warriors who sport distinct looks and weapons who would’ve given Blade a hard time if he had to actually fight them. Perhaps this could be shown in his next movie, thus giving Blade enemies who could be his equals in terms of combat prowess.
Want: Karen
Love interests tend to be the weakest parts of comic book movies and the same goes for the Blade movies. However, credit should be given to Dr. Karen Jenson from the first one because of how integral she is to both the movie’s events and Blade’s life.
Not only does Karen discover the cure for the vampiric infection and a new antidote for Blade, but she helps him rediscover his humanity. She’s also a strong character with a personal arc (i.e. curing herself) that’s not solely centered on the hero, and her presence would be welcome in the reboot.
Want: Whistler
Like Blade, Whistler was a victim of the vampires’ cruelty who swore vengeance by dedicating his life to killing as many bloodsuckers as he could. He finds a new purpose when he stumbles across a young Blade, who he raises as his own son and fellow vampire hunter.
Simply put, Blade wouldn’t be who he is without his beloved mentor, life-long friend, and father figure. While he may sound like a grittier and more murderous version of Uncle Ben, Whistler is an important part of Blade’s life who can’t be left out of the equation.
Don’t Want: Blade The Side Character
Calling Blade: Trinity problematic is an understatement, with its biggest issue being that Blade wasn’t even the main character. Thanks to his minimized presence, simplified characterization into a grump, and the fact that Snipes was furious during the entire production, the Daywalker’s last cinematic impression was an incredibly negative one.
This was a disservice to Blade, who isn’t just the hero responsible for kick-starting Marvel’s box office dominance but is also one of the most prominent African-American superheroes around. Blade deserves the spotlight and shouldn’t be second to anyone.
Want: Blade
After almost two decades of waiting, Blade is finally coming back to cinemas thanks to the MCU. Though he could be wrongly dismissed as a disposable action movie badass from the ‘90s, Blade’s importance and potential shouldn’t be downplayed.
Blade isn’t just a badass vampire hunter with a lot of baggage that could lead to engaging narratives and adventures in the movies, but as mentioned above he’s one of the most famous African-American heroes in comics. It’s about time he made his way back to the big screen and the future only seems bright for him.