The Marvel Universe has an immense array of comic book characters and superheroes such as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Bruce Banner/Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Wolverine, X-Men, and the Avengers. Eric Brooks/Blade may be an underrated Marvel comic book hero due to the character's darker storyline compared to his counterparts, but he is also one of the most stylish and skillful superheroes due to his leather wardrobe, high-powered weaponry, and strong martial arts combat. If Batman is DC's top vigilante, Blade takes that role in the Marvel Comics.
Blade has become even more popular thanks to Wesley Snipes' iconic portrayal of the half-man, half-vampire killer of the undead in his Blade film trilogy. The Daywalker is now in the hands of two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali in a Blade film that will be part of Phase Five of the MCU. Here are potential comic book storylines Ali's Blade feature could use.
Blade Vol. 1: Undead Again by Marc Guggenheim and Howard Chaykin
This Blade comic book was released in 2007, written by Guggenheim and illustrated by Chaykin. There are many popular characters who collide with the vampire hunter, including Wolverine, Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, Dracula, and there's even a Santa Claus added to the mix. There's also more details pertaining to Blade's origin story, including his heritage in Latveria, and background on the Daywalker's biological father.
While the first Blade film with Wesley Snipes began the vampire hunter's origin story with the death of his mother and his search for his mom's killer (Deacon Frost), Mahershala Ali's Blade feature can depict a new beginning by establishing his relationship with his father. Ali's version can also elaborate on the importance of Latveria (since that's not only Blade's inheritance but also a fictional location where Doctor Doom is an ambassador with diplomatic immunity). Doctor Doom is commonly known for his association and rivalry with The Fantastic Four, but he can be much darker if he goes up against Blade in the MCU.
Blade Vs. The Avengers by Mark Millar and Steve Dillon
Written in 2011 by Millar and drawn out by Dillon, this comic book has the vampire hunter cross paths with Earth's mightiest heroes. The Avengers in this story are a gritty, black-ops task force who tackle dirty jobs, but when vampires turn the heroes into bloodsucking monsters, Blade is forced to fight against the Avengers until he encounters a cure for them. Captain America, Hulk, and Daredevil are among the Avengers who turn into rogue vamps, while S.H.I.E.L.D. hesitantly works with Blade to find a solution to the catastrophic problem.
This would be a cool, bloody, and brutal concept to inject into an MCU feature. This comic book storyline can also be an opportunity for Blade and several members of the Avengers in the MCU (old and new) to collide on a major global threat reminiscent of Thanos. The Avengers would get a glimpse of Blade's world with vampires and battle supernatural enemies they haven't experienced yet in the MCU, which could potentially make Blade a leading figure and mentor for the group.
Blade: Undead By Daylight by Marv Wolfman, Christopher Golden, Gil Kane, and Gene Colan
This graphic novel published in 2015 by authors Wolfman and Golden (with illustrations from Colan and cover art by Kane) contains the "Tomb of Dracula" comics from the 1970s in which the Daywalker takes on the most popular vampire in the horror genre. In "Tomb of Dracula #10," Count Dracula intends to kill people on a cruise ship, while Blade tries to stop him with the help of Quincy Harker (Jonathan Harker's son) and Rachel Van Helsing (Abraham Van Helsing's great-granddaughter), serving as an homage to classic characters from Bram Stoker's Dracula.
The "Tomb of Dracula" comics are where Blade originated, and began one of several battles against Dracula. The MCU could depict an origin story and/or sequels involving battles between Blade and Dracula (which could also make up for the heavily criticized Blade: Trinity and how that film rushed the rivalry with these titans). Bringing Dracula into the MCU with Blade can also combine traditional and modern perspectives on vampirism, such as Blade using ancient texts for historical info (like Doctor Strange and his books on sorcery) while using advanced weaponry (guns, swords, silver, garlic) to demolish vampires.
X-Men: Curse of the Mutants by Victor Gischler and Paco Medina
This X-Men comic book storyline was written by Gischler and illustrated by Medina in 2011. The plot involves Blade finally defeating his nemesis Dracula and joining forces with the X-Men to track down Dracula's son, Xarus, and his army of vampires in San Francisco. Xarus drops a bomb in San Francisco's Union Square, spreading a virus that infects many civilians, and provides the X-Men and Blade with an offer: join him as vampires or die.
This story could be used in an MCU feature for Blade and the X-Men to get acquainted and perhaps add the Avengers to the mix to form a more expansive super team of heroes on the big screen. Reminiscent of the Doctor Strange movies, a film with Blade and the X-Men can add elements of supernatural horror (vampires) and sci-fi (mutants contemplating their powerful abilities), along with R-rated action like Logan and the Deadpool features.
Wolverine Vs. Blade by Marc Guggenheim and Dave Wilkins
Written by Guggenheim and illustrated by cover artist Wilkins, this 2019 comic book pits together two of the most powerful killers and hunters in the Marvel universe. Blade is part human, part vampire with all the supernatural strength of vampires and none of their weaknesses, while Wolverine is one of the best mutants from X-Men with sharp adamantium claws and his ability to heal.
This may be an ambitious comic to film in the MCU because Hugh Jackman is essentially retired from his signature portrayal of Wolverine (although he agreed to return with a different iteration of the character in Deadpool 3). However, if Jackman's MCU version of Wolverine (or another actor in the role) were to face Mahershala Ali's Blade, that would be a sight to behold, as well as a dream come true for Marvel and R-rated action movie fans.