Will Blade Reboot Be R-Rated In The MCU?

The next Blade reboot film from Marvel Studios will be superior to the previous installments because of how well it integrates into the Marvel Cinematic

By Mabel Judith Andrady
August 12,2022
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The next Blade reboot film from Marvel Studios will be superior to the previous installments because of how well it integrates into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Blade, the vampire hunter, returns to the big screen just as he is introduced to a new world. And I bet this Blade version will be better than the antihero’s previous theatrical outing.

Blade, an R-rated adaptation of a Marvel comic book, was released in theaters by New Line Cinema and was a smashing success. Ultimately, Blade was Marvel’s first major financial triumph, setting the tone for many successful superhero films in the new century. The 1998 film Blade, which spawned the sequels Blade II and Blade: Trinity, established a dark tone for the title character. The studio ultimately produced a subpar trilogy starring the black-leather-clad Marvel horror hero, which became more absurd as it continued.

Blade Reboot In The MCU

In 2012, Marvel Studios were given back the film rights to the beloved fan favorite Blade character, but it took Kevin Feige a long time to accomplish something with them. A Blade reboot based in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was finally confirmed by Marvel at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. At the time, the only known detail about the movie was that Mahershala Ali, a two-time Oscar winner, had been cast in the title role.

WB's Blade
                                                                WB’s Blade

More information regarding the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next Blade film has surfaced over the last couple of years as the production has come together. Stacy Osei-Kuffour, a screenwriter who has worked on the highly praised HBO sequel to Watchmen and the oddball coming-of-age jewel PEN15 for Hulu, is now working on the screenplay.

Mogul Mowgli was directed by Bassam Tariq, a veteran documentarian who also co-wrote the screenplay with actor Riz Ahmed. Atlanta, New Orleans, and Morocco are just a few places the cast and crew will go to when principal photography begins in October.

Will The Blade Reboot Be R-rated?

Now that we know so much about the upcoming Blade reboot, one of the biggest questions concerns whether or not the film would be gunning for an R rating. Even the recent horror-tinged Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was given a PG-13 rating, and the only planned MCU film guaranteed to be R-rated is Deadpool 3. The MCU’s Blade may or may not be classified R; Feige hasn’t said either way. Even if it will be PG-13, he hasn’t said for sure. There are benefits and drawbacks to going for an R classification with the next Blade movie.

The MCU's Blade Reboot
The MCU’s Blade

Not only does Deadpool have R-rated sensibilities in his abilities and demeanor, but so do many other Marvel heroes. Several well-known Marvel characters, like Wolverine and the Punisher, don’t fit the mild, family-friendly mold of a PG-13 rating. One of them is Blade, the anti-vampire hunter. Blood is essential in a vampire flick.

Blade was depicted as a loner in the Snipes films, but in the MCU, Blade has already shown a desire to reach out and help Dane Whitman. This is a good attribute that helps to flesh out Blade’s image in team-building. Since he can now interact with the rest of the MCU’s massive ensemble, Marvel can finally present Blade in all his nuanced glory.

Blade’s Potential

For Blade, there are no limits to his pursuit of vengeance. Since Blade is allowed to develop into the valuable team player he was always supposed to be, Ali’s solo debut in the MCU will be better. Blade’s potential as a team leader is refreshed in a manner befitting of the antihero when he takes on more of a Nick Fury–like directing role. Blade’s ability to form the supernatural team-up organization the Midnight Sons in the expanded MCU allows him to be portrayed as more than just a lethal assassin.

Blade may finally be given the due he deserves in the company of other supernatural heroes like Doctor Strange, Moon Knight, and Ghost Rider if he is cast in this position. Blade is not motivated by charity, but he may reach a wider audience by working with Marvel’s superheroes. Because of the existing framework provided by the MCU, the new Blade film has the potential to be even better than the original.