By Malice Intended

Back in 1998, before Hollywood recognized comic book superheroes for the goldmine they would soon become, New Line Cinema found a surprise success with an unknown Marvel Comics character named Blade.  The film itself was quite unusual considering how early it came along in the development of the genre.  It was not a PG-13 rated adventure film that accompanied by the now standard merchandise tie-ins. 

The action/horror film contained extreme graphic violence and was aimed at teens.  It also contained an African-American protagonist, and casually flaunted that fact as though it was the most natural thing in the world.  Blade earned over 130 million dollars at the worldwide box office, spawned a franchise and rejuvenated Wesley Snipes’career.  Not too shabby for a niche character from a medium that had few proven successes other than the Batman and Superman films.  Surely, more black heroes would soon make the transition from the page to the screen.

Alas, it was not to be.  Two summers later, Bryan Singer’s X-Men film would prove almost twice as successful as Blade.  Two summers after that, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man broke all sorts of box office records and established the web slinger as the costumed hero of the new millennium.  The comic book boom was now in full swing, with second tier and even non-super-hero titles being considered for adaptation.

During this brief period during the early to mid 2000’s, Blade produced two sequels.  One of them was more successful than the first and considered superior by many.  The other was easily the low point of the franchise.  The poorly received Blade: Trinity effectively closed the door on the franchise.  Though the films themselves varied in quality, the Blade trilogy proved once and for all that not only would Black audiences turn out for a black hero, but that such a property had considerable cross over appeal.  So the question remains: Why has Hollywood not furthered explored this undiscovered country?

Hollywood can’t think that African-American audiences aren’t receptive to the idea.  Go to any multiplex located in or near an “urban” area anywhere in America and you will see evidence to the contrary.  Iron Man 2 played just as well to black audiences as it did to others, as did recent entries in the Batman and Spider-man franchises.

Perhaps it’s the age old adage white audiences aren’t receptive enough to films with minority leads.  To disprove that, one only has to look at the unprecedented success of Will Smith.  In an era where movie stars no longer hold the same level of clout as they once did, The Fresh Prince is the last man standing.  In fact, one of his most recent hits directly relates to this topic.  Hancock, a relatively dark superhero film not based on material from another medium, managed to generate 624 million at the worldwide box office.  That staggering figure was due more to Smith’s presence in the film than to the current superhero craze.

The formula for superhero films has been overused to the point that the genre is now in need of variety and fresh approaches.  The usual themes explored in the typical ways are becoming rote, and the well of recognizable existing characters maybe running dry.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see Marvel Entertainment and Warner Brothers films develop original material solely for the big screen.  That would be the perfect time to introduce new kinds of heroes that reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the audience for such properties. 

The Iron Man films were more than successful enough to consider giving War Machine his own spin off.  A thespian of Don Cheadle’s considerable talent could use his own franchise, but here are even more obvious choices.  Wesley Snipes showed interest in a Black Panther film 17 years ago!  That the ruler of Wakanda has yet to embark on his first cinematic adventure goes right to the heart of this dilemma.

Racism, and an unyielding desire to preserve the status quo have prevented the first Blade from being recognized as a success and receiving the commensurate accolades.  Black audiences can digest much more than Tyler Perry films, slapstick comedies and “Hood” movies.  Hollywood is aware of this, yet remains steadfast in its dedication to ensure that the cinematic world of the superhero remains lily white.  The recent whitewashing of The Last Airbender is another example.

It is time for the big studios to be held accountable for their myopia.  Children of color the world over have vast and untapped imaginations that are craving to be satiated.  Instead of ignoring such a vast audience, maybe it’s time to tap that potential.  God forbid that black superheroes provide Hollywood with yet another way to make tons of cash.

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