AceShowbiz - Blade was a cinematic juggernaut in the late '90s, with the 1998 horror action film starring Wesley Snipes enjoying box office success. The popularity of Blade would spawn a trilogy of high-profile films, but the TV spin-off, Blade: The Series, came and went without many being aware of its existence. This series was an attempt to recreate the dark atmosphere and edgy violence of the R-rated film series on the small screen.

Blade: The Series took place after the events in the original Blade film trilogy, with Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones playing the lead role. Joining Blade in his war against vampires was Shen (Nelson Lee), who provided weapons and technical assistance, and Krista Starr (Jill Wagner), a woman who becomes a double agent of sorts when she is turned into a vampire and recruited by Blade. The 13-episode season would see Blade and his partners attempt to stop Marcus van Sciver (Neil Jackson), a vampire with secret plans to strengthen his vampiric offspring.

Blade: The Series was developed for television by David Goyer, who wrote the Blade movies and co-wrote the Dark Knight trilogy. The series aimed to keep the dark atmosphere and edgy violence of the R-rated film series, but in a time before streamers and their lack of content restrictions were introduced, the choice of broadcast homes that would air such a series was limited. Spike TV was the chosen platform, a fledgling cable channel looking to create original programming that would align with the young male audience it was courting.

Unfortunately, Blade: The Series was not critically well-received, sitting at a 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, with many citing the low production value or a lackluster story. The fandom for Blade was a double-edged silver sword for the series, because although the name of the hero would lure curious viewers, it would also invite comparison to the movies. Blade: The Series, operating on a smaller budget spread out over multiple episodes, could never reasonably recreate the quality of its big-screen counterpart.

In the end, Blade: The Series failed to leave a lasting impact on audiences, and it remains a forgotten chapter in the Blade franchise. However, with the recent announcement of Wesley Snipes returning for the 2024 movie Deadpool & Wolverine, fans are once again excited about the prospect of a new Blade film. Perhaps this will lead to a re-examination of Blade: The Series and its place in the larger Marvel universe.