Blade, Masculinity and the Superhero Genre

Blade (1998)

Ever since the news of Blade’s introduction into Phase 4 of Marvel’s cinematic universe, anticipation has been at an all time high, in part because of the announcement that two time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali is set to play the human-vampire hybrid. Despite the general excitement around the film, there has been some discussion about how Blade fits into the future of the MCU, and if the character is still on brand for the juggernaut superhero franchise. The skeptics may have forgotten that Marvel Studios owes a huge debt to the original Blade film which upon its release was the studio’s first success, and arguably kickstarted the second wave of superhero films. The original film, written by David S. Goyer, directed by Stephen Norrington and starring Wesley Snipes not only influenced superhero movies, but is also an important entry into the Black genre movie canon.

With the recent renaissance in Black horror films, and the upcoming slate of Black superhero films (Black Panther 2, Into the Spiderverse 2, Static, Black Adam, Spawn) and rumours of a Black Superman swirling, it’s time to look at the film that started it all, and how it changed the face of superhero films at large. 

African American Superheroes: Too Black, Too Strong?

The 90’s was a turbulent decade for superhero films. Spurred on by the success of Tim Burton’s dark Batman series, a number of films hoped to capture the same tone and achieve the same success. In 1995 two darker superhero films Tank Girl and Judge Dredd were critically panned for their gratuitous violence and lack of coherent plots, followed by Batman Forever, which also premiered to negative reviews. In 1996 Marvel found itself teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and the genre appeared to be doomed. 1997 saw Black superheroes Steel and Spawn released to abysmal reviews as well the critical failure of Batman and Robin. With every superhero film seemingly getting worse, what hope did Blade have of success? 

Batman (1989)

Tank Girl (1995)

Steel (1997)

Based on an obscure comic by Milestone Comics Incorporated, a partnership of Black artists and creators, Blade tells the story of a human-vampire hunter on a never-ending mission to save the human race. What differentiated it from other superheroes films that came before it was that the relative obscurity of the Blade comics meant that it did not have the pressure to live up to audience expectations, or stay true to the comic book iterations of him. The original comic book character first appeared in the horror comic The Tomb of Dracula (1973)  as a side character, adorned with  an afro and seventies bell-bottoms before being given a streamlined movie-makeover that matched the visual aschetictics of the 90’s. A perfect example of this is the now iconic ‘blood rave’ opening scene, which remains one of the most visually arresting scenes in superhero film history. We are introduced to a female vampire luring her prey to death in a club that sprays blood from the ceiling – it is revealed that all of the clubbers are vampires except for one horrified human. Blade’s appearance amongst the crowds of blood-soaked bodies signalled a shift in aesthetics and possibilities for a superhero film. The rave scene is the epitome of 90’s rave, grunge and gothic culture. Before Blade no superhero film had dared to transcend the rigid confines of the comic book narrative and place the action into the modern world that felt familiar to audiences. The action scenes also felt innovative, Blade was highly proficient in melee combat, which would pave the way for Netflix and Marvels Defenders who similarly situated the superhero into a low fantasy setting – a gritty, urbanised world. The recent DC comics book adaptations also feel indebted to this darker, moody style of superhero movie. 

Blade’s characterisation also vastly differed from the traditional ‘good superhero’ that we had seen so many times before. Traditionally, the male superhero is a hypermasculine figure. He is the defender of the damned and quintessentially masculine meaning hard, strong, reserved and active, defined by their toughness and an overwhelming loyalty to whatever community they have vowed to protect. They are selfless, messianic, cis, straight, and more often than not, white. These masculine tropes are slightly problematised with Black male superheroes. Even without superpowers, the Black male body has always been regarded as a site of hypermasculinity, characterised by sexual voracity and intimidation, and more often than not, Black male bodies have been seen as both perpetrating and enduring tremendous violence. 

The Blaxploitation era that began in the 1970’s ushered a new type of Black action hero on screen. These action stars were unapologetically Black, brimming with machismo and fighting against the system. Luke Cage, the first Black marvel superhero character was created in 1972 and directly channels the energy of the Blaxploitation genre. Similarly, the first Blade comics came out a year after the blaxploitation horror flick Blacula (1972) was released. One of the better entries into the Blaxploitation canon, Blacula followed another enigmatic Black vampire that ostensibly fought against a corrupt white police force. Vampirism was also the focus of Ganja and Hess (1973) which explored the pressures of assimilation and addiction in the Black community through the prism of vampirism. It is clear that Blade was highly influenced by these films – Vampirism was a lens that explored Blade’s duality, his in-between-ness and otherness. Blade’s own resistance to bloodlust comes from a serum that was developed by a serum created by a sickle cell researcher – a condition that predominantly affects the Black community. Blood acted as a metaphor for other anxieties that were felt by the Black community at the time, passing, HIV and genetic purity. Blade’s own form of racialised vengeance, acts as a prototype for the angry anti-heroes Killmonger and Candyman. The fearless genre-blending of horror and action is one of the key components of its success, and it’s something that can be seen in the most successful modern superhero films. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is a heist movie, Logan is a Western, Jessica Jones a hardboiled detective story.

Get Out (2017)

Blacula (1972)

We are currently in a golden age for Black horror films, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Jordan Peele’s Get Out sparked a renaissance in the subgenre, allowing filmmakers and writers to defiantly discuss the traumas of racism. Similarly the Black superhero film has become a commodity that is not only commercially triumphant, but also serious critical successes. Into the Spiderverse made history by being the first superhero film to win best animated picture at the Oscars. The wild success of Black Panther – both critically and commercially, it is the highest grossing Marvel superhero film (not including the ensemble Avengers films) and the first superhero film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars shows that there is an appetite for diversity in the genre. Blade’s influence on both genres has not always been lauded as it should, but it set the tone for things to come.

Looking forward to Phase 4 Blade where we can hope that it will take cues from the Black horror movement and use the tropes and mechanics of both genres to widely interrogate Black masculinity and race at large.