Back in August of 1998, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still a decade away. At the time, the last theatrical movie based on a Marvel property was 1986’s Howard the Duck, and the landscape for comic book movies was far from what it is today. Then Blade arrived, a movie that broke new ground and had a major impact on comic book and action movies to come.

The Stephen Norrington-directed film debuted on screens 20 years ago today. In a new video, ScreenCrush’s Ryan Arey looks back on the film, the influence it had on many Marvel movies to come, and he makes the case that Blade deserves to join the MCU. After all, the Avengers will need all the help they can get to defeat Thanos, and a vampire can’t hurt. (Plus, Kevin Feige is into the idea.)

If you liked this video about Blade and the MCU, be sure to check out some more of our videos below, including our video about a potentially huge Captain Marvel Easter egg in Avengers: Infinity War, our theory why Thanos waited so long to grab those darn Infinity Stones, and how the Soul Stone reveals the hidden theme of the movie. Plus, there’s tons more over at ScreenCrush’s YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes.

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