Underworld turned 23 and nearly crossed into Blade's universe
Underworld debuted 23 years ago and nearly crossed over with Marvel's Blade.
Underworld started on September 19, 2003 as a monster franchise. Kate Beckinsale played elite vampire Selene in a war between vampires and werewolves.
Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman and Danny McBride created a dark world filled with supernatural creatures and lots of action. The franchise almost crossed over with Marvel's Blade character.
This bold crossover could have brought back the fading Blade series. But Marvel turned down the idea.
Across five films, Underworld grew its world with sequels. These explored ancient vampire origins and internal wars.
It became a fan favorite even though critics gave it negative reviews.
- September 19, 2003
- Release date
- Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, Danny McBride
- Creators
- Kate Beckinsale
- Lead actor
- Five total
- Films produced
Why it mattersThe near-crossover shows how Marvel protected its intellectual property and turned down a franchise that might have extended the Blade universe.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect, but marks a moment when major monster franchises shaped the streaming and action-movie landscape Australian viewers watch today.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 5 d ago
