Marvel Theory: Dracula's Death Sets Up Blade (& MCU Vampires)

The MCU's Blade movie could begin with the death of Dracula, leading to outright war between humans and vampires. At SDCC 2019, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed Mahershala Ali had signed up as the MCU's version of Blade. Ali is considered one of Hollywood's strongest stars, and he called Marvel shortly after winning an Academy Award for Green Book. As Kevin Feige observed, "When Mahershala Ali calls, you answer."

Naturally, this has led to intense speculation over just how Marvel will introduce vampires into the MCU. There are really two options; the first is that they could be unleashed as a result of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Magic, with eldritch energy sweeping across the globe and creating vampires. But that's an unsatisfactory idea, because it would preclude the creation of Blade as a Daywalker. A better approach would be to reveal vampires have been part of the MCU all along, operating in the shadows. Oddly enough, that would fit with an Easter egg in Thor: Ragnarok, with Korg mentioning a three-pronged spear that he described as "not really useful unless you're fighting off three vampires that were huddled together." Taika Waititi meant this as just an amusing reference to his vampire film What We Do In The Shadows, but from an in-universe perspective it clearly signposted vampires already exist in the MCU.

But, of course, there's a problem; what have the vampires been doing before now? If they've existed in the MCU all this time, then they have a history, one that needs to be explored. Fortunately, a possible answer is provided in 2010's Death of Dracula one-shot, by writer Victor Gischler and artist Guiseppe Camuncoli.

Death of Dracula Explained Why Vampires Are Rarely Seen In The Marvel Universe

In the world of Marvel Comics, Dracula is no mere legend; rather, he is a real historical figure, and Bram Stoker's famous novel was based on true events. A ruthless conqueror, he was a prince of Wallachia who reveled in bloodshed but whose cruel ways inspired constant rebellions and uprisings. He was ultimately defeated in battle in 1459, suffering grievous injuries; Dracula was taken to Gypsies for healing, but was instead transformed into a vampire. Over the centuries, Dracula became the ruler of the vampires, acknowledged as the most powerful of their race. At first Dracula pursued a policy of open war with humanity, but he came to understand that this would be dangerous. Vampires may be stronger and deadlier than any human, but there are far more ordinary men and women, and even vampires can be killed. Instead, Dracula decided vampires should retreat into the shadows, tricking ordinary people into believing they are just creatures of myth and legend. This, he reasoned, would both keep vampires safe and ensures humans left themselves vulnerable. The status quo held until the Death of Dracula one-shot.

By the 21st century, human encroachment on vampire lands was becoming a problem. Explosive population growth, coupled with mass migration, meant the vampires were constantly retreating lest they be discovered. Xarus, son of Dracula, decided the old ways were no longer working; he conspired with other vampire clans to lead an uprising against his father. It all began in a meeting of the vampire council, with Xarus taking Dracula by surprise, stabbing him through the chest with a wooden stake. This would have been the end of any other vampire, but Dracula was no ordinary vampire, and he struggled on; even with the advantage of surprise, Xarus only triumphed with the help of other council members he had secretly been working with. The end of Dracula's reign was the beginning of his son's, and Xarus immediately abandoned the old ways. It led directly into a vampire invasion of San Francisco, with Xarus leading the vampires out into the open.

The MCU's Blade Could Draw Inspiration From The Death of Dracula

Just as in the comics, the MCU's vampires could have deliberately concealed their existence from the world for all this time, ensuring humanity remained vulnerable and unprotected against their predation. That would be the old order, a status quo overseen by Dracula himself, and Blade could be an established figure in this shadow world; a vampire hunter who battles in secret against an enemy even Nick Fury and SHIELD don't realize exists. But that status quo could be disrupted, with rebel vampires forcing a regime change and killing Dracula, abandoning the old ways and choosing to go into open war with humanity. Suddenly Blade too would be thrust out of the shadows and into the light, acknowledged by the world's heroes and villains.

It's not difficult to imagine a scenario where regime change in the vampire nation was forced by the events of the snap, as detailed in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The vampires themselves would have been halved in number by Thanos, destabilizing the different clans and perhaps leading to the rise of new clan leaders. Avengers: Endgame subtly suggested the surviving humans traveled the world to congregate together in the shells of cities, meaning the vampires' food supply would also have been disrupted. And then, after five years, matters would have been put right; the living beings who had been erased were snapped back into existence by the Hulk. No doubt this would have led to further political and social destabilization, and consequently more mass migration. It's not hard to imagine a scenario where this secret group of vampires began getting pretty fed up with the constant change, and became dissatisfied with the old way of doing things.

The Death of Dracula one-shot would fit remarkably well with the MCU. It would neatly explain why vampires haven't been seen before in the films, and the ascension of Xarus would raise the stakes dramatically. With a bit of creative thinking, it would even explain why the vampires didn't emerge as a visible threat until after Avengers: Endgame. It really isn't as hard to introduce vampires and Blade into the MCU as many readers think - it just requires casting a careful eye to the comics themselves.

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