| Blade | |
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| Blade character | |
| https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e0/Wesley_Snipes_as_Blade.jpg/220px-Wesley_Snipes_as_Blade.jpg
Wesley Snipes as Blade in Blade: Trinity(2004) | |
| First appearance | Blade (1998) |
| Last appearance |
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| Based on | Bladeby
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| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Eric Brooks |
| Species | Dhampir |
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| Occupation | Vampire hunter |
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| Nationality | American |
Blade, born Eric Brooks and also known as The Daywalker, is a fictional character primarily portrayed by Wesley Snipes and Sticky Fingaz in the New Line Cinema Blade franchise, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by writer Marv Wolfman and illustrator Gene Colan. Unlike the comics, in which Blade was depicted as a green-suited human immune to vampire bites, Blade is depicted as a sunglasses and leather-wearing dhampir (a vampire immune to usual vampire weaknesses at the cost of ageing normally), who gained his abilities after his mother was bitten by a vampire while giving birth to him. A variation of this storyline was integrated into Spider-Man: The Animated Series by John Semper in 1995 ahead of the first Blade (1998) film being made, adapted from an early script for the film by David S. Goyer, and was ultimately integrated into comics as well in 1999, retconning Blade's original origin; Blade's redesigned costume was also integrated. Following two further sequelfilms starring Snipes: Blade II(2002) and Blade: Trinity (2004), Fingaz was cast to replace him in Blade: The Series in 2006. After discussions to have Snipes reprise the role in a crossoverfilm with the Underworld film series and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fell through, Mahershala Ali took over the role. In October 2021, Marvel Comics writer Daniel Kibblesmithwrote one-shot The Darkhold: Blade which follows Snipes' version of the character.
Snipes' portrayal of the character received significant critical praise, described as the "quintessential black superhero[before] Black Panther", with the first film starring him receiving a cult following and beginning Marvel's film success, setting the stage for further comic book film adaptations.