Blade Won't Show Up in 'The Defenders,' But Is a Netflix Series Still a Possibility?

A few rumors and speculation regarding #Marvel's Blade have made their way into the headlines recently. After the Marvel Legends toy line released their set of figures for The Defenders series, the inclusion of Blade had fans speculating that Marvel's vampire hybrid would be joining Netflix's sect of the Marvel universe.

The toy line includes Elektra, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Punisher, Bullseye, and #Blade. Luke Cage and Iron Fist were nowhere to be seen, but they may be released in an upcoming second wave. For now, we should focus on Bullseye and Blade.

Are Blade And Bullseye Joining Netflix's Marvel Series?

Since Daredevil is a pivotal character in that universe, it wouldn't be too preposterous to see Bullseye make his debut, seeing as how the two are quite familiar with one another in the comics. And the upcoming release of #TheDefenders presents the perfect opportunity to introduce Bullseye. Not only that, but Jason Statham was reportedly asked to play Bullseye in an unidentified project, so this Marvel Legends design might have been intended for Statham on-screen. Still, the more intriguing addition to the recently released Marvel Legends line is Blade.

With fans constantly asking about Blade, and whether or not the MCU has plans for him in the future, it's no surprise to see him in what appears to be a Defenders exclusive release. For those would argue that this line of figures isn't a direct tie-in with the Defenders series, all four figures from the Netflix series are designed in the likenesses of their characters in their series.

Could Marvel's Plan For Blade Be To Use Him In The Defenders?

The buzz around Blade coming to Netflix heated up last year because of comments made by, of all people, Kate Beckinsale when she was promoting Underworld: Blood Wars. During an interview, Beckinsale was asked whether or not her following Underworld movie would crossover with Blade. Beckinsale responded by letting slip a crossover with Blade couldn't happen because Marvel was "doing something with Blade." Could The Defenders be what Beckinsale was referring to?

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige addressed the comments made by Beckinsale, indicating that they'd use Blade further down the line, except he didn't specify when. Check out Feige's commentary in full:

"They [the ‘Underworld’ producers] did ask a long time ago and I think our answer was, ‘No, we’ll do something with ‘Blade’ at some point.’ That’s still the answer. We still think he’s a great character. He’s a really fun character. We think this movie going into a different side of the universe would have the potential to have him pop up, but between the movies, the Netflix shows, the ABC shows there are so many opportunities for the character to pop up as you’re now seeing with Ghost Rider on ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ that rather than team up with another studio on that character let’s do something on our own. What that is? Where that will be? We’ll see. There is nothing imminent to my knowledge."

Could Blade Join The Punisher Series Or Another Netflix Based Series?

While Feige doesn't give an exact setting for Blade to show up, Netflix's supernatural-based branch of the #MCU would be the ideal fit for his character. Although, an appearance on The Defenders is probably out of the cards at the moment. So, any further exploration of Blade would have to be in a different series or movie. Keep in mind that Feige elaborated on Blade's potential future in the MCU during an interview with JoBlo. Here's what he had to say:

"We think it would be cool. Someday. My tenure at Marvel started 17 years ago, and there were two things that sort of launched the modern era. One was X-Men, which was the first thing that people said, "Oh, there's life here." But a few years before that, there was Blade. A character nobody had heard of at all, had only appeared in a few issues of Tomb of Dracula or something, turned into a big franchise. That was always a great lesson for me, where you go, "It doesn't matter how well known the character is, it matters how cool the movie is." Which, many years later, would be the reason we do Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange. I think Blade is a legacy character now, and I think it would be fun to do something with him one day.

So, there you have it. Blade will return, it just won't be anytime soon. Of course, we shouldn't rule out the possibility of Blade still making his debut on Netflix. A Punisher series is in the works, so why not a series about Blade? There's nothing necessarily stopping a Blade series from being made, nor would one contradict what Feige has said in regards to Marvel's daywalking vampire. Statements aside, a Blade series is what we're all hoping for. Who knows, maybe we'll see Ghost Rider and the rest of the Midnight Sons joining Blade, with the exception of Doctor Strange that is.