Have we completely forgotten or simply overlooked Spawn/Blade franchise?

[Lantern Venom]

Both Blade & Spawn were made back in the 90s. They might have contributed a little bit to BP, but I don't think they really helped that much considering that 20 years have passed and except for the first Blade movie, these movies weren't very well received critically and financially. BP's success has a lot more to do with MCU's brand recognition imo.

Both Blade and Blade 2 spent time as the #1 movie in America, and Blade 2 actually made a bigger profit. The reviews were more positive in each film's time. It's only been in the last 10 years or so that I've noticed retro reviews taking down each one's RT score.

Blade's contribution to the rise of modern comic book films is overrated IMO.

Blade is the grandfather of the golden age of CBMs. Comic book films were dead in the water in the mid-90s. If Blade hadn't proven that even obscure comic book characters could become money makers in the right hands, many later CBMs wouldn't have gotten the green light.

Blade was the reason I bought by first DVD player in the late 90's....solely for the blood bath scene which I still consider the best opening scene in any comic book movie.

I sometimes watch the blood bath scene before I hit the gym. The tension and energy in that scene is glorious.

Blade n Spawn were like the only black ppl in them movies. It's not even comparable. Plus the fact you have to bring up movies from like 20 years ago shows the real problem

Blade's films were very diverse. In the first film, his love interest was black, his mother was black, the Alchemist was black, and numerous vampires were black. There was also a strong Asian presence in those films too.

THat is true.. When someone told me blade was a marvel comic, i was flabergasted, then i looked it up and was "WOW.. never new that"....

I think you hit on the reason that Blade didn't make the same impression that other CBMs have. It was R-rated, marketed as a horror-adventure flick with very few tie-in products, and featured a character from one of Marvel's darkest corners. He also looked very different than his original comic incarnation. Unless someone was either well-versed in horror comics or saw the episode of Spider-man:TAS that featured Blade, his Marvel roots were almost unknown.