News culture The director of this Marvel film hired a biker gang to protect him: the conflict with the main actor took on incredible proportions

Culture news The director of this Marvel film hired a biker gang to protect him: the conflict with the main actor took on incredible proportions

From success to shame

It was in 1998 that Blade, the first of its name, arrived in cinemas, a dark and bloody action film with a keen sense of direction and choreography. Headlining, an ultra-effective Wesley Snipe as a ruthless vampire hunter wielding katana and guns like no other, himself a unique hybrid between a vampire and a human.

The film, directed by Stephen Norrington, was a great success and has comfortably established itself among the reputed films from the comic book house, serving as an additional springboard for Wesley Snipes. A sequel, Blade 2, saw the light of day in 2002, directed by Guillermo Del Toro and which enjoyed similar success.

Then, there was Blade Trinity in 2004 and everything went south. For once, this third feature film was to open the universe and give rise to spin-offs and other derivative experiences: it was directed by David S. Goyer, who was notably the screenwriter of the first two Blade, but was mainly called one of the worst Marvel films of the era. The critics murdered it, yes, just like the public who didn’t really respond, resulting in a poor score at the box office. And since then, we’ve never seen Blade on the big screen again.

A chaotic shoot

It must also be said that the production of the film itself was winding and complicated, notably due to an absolutely calamitous relationship between David S. Goyer and Wesley Snipes. In the first place, major disagreements over the story, writing or direction: the American actor notably felt that the character of Blade was relegated to the background, in favor of the new characters of King and Abigail, played by Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel.

Patton Oswalt, one of the actors in the film (who played Hedges), even admitted that Snipes stopped talking to the director after the director ignored the racist behavior of one of the crew members: the actor even tried to strangle the filmmaker. Same story with actress Parker Posey, who declared that Snipes ultimately refused to film certain scenes or act in such a mannerwhich would clearly have affected their final quality.

The relationship between Goyle and Snipes even deteriorated so much thatThe latter would have made serious threats to him, which would have led the director to hire a biker gang for his personal security. Just that. The interpreter of Blade even decided to no longer communicate with Goyer directly, using post-its signed “from Blade”! Finally, Wesley Snipes finally ended up attacking New Line Cinema for not paying him his full salary, nine months before the film’s release.

Second chance

We recall that the curse continued somewhat sinceA reboot of Blade is planned within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Mahershala Ali in the title role : only here, following other disagreements between Marvel, several directors and screenwriters have already been hired before leavingdelaying the release again and again. Ali was even reportedly on the verge of leaving the project.

Fortunately, the project would have resumed in the right direction and it is therefore Yann Demange who will pilot the whole (Lovecraft Country, Exit West). The film will notably integrate Marvel Spotlight, a label recently created within the MCU to accommodate feature films and series with more adult and violent content, to which Daredevil Born Again will also belong; meanwhile, the release is scheduled for November 5, 2025. Fingers crossed for a proper return and especially not another cold shower.

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