One of the most infamous comic book sequels of all time, Blade: Trinity takes the cake when it comes to disappointing threequels. A superhero movie with a historically difficult production, no one knows the film’s legacy more than its writer/director David S. Goyer. That disappointment certainly hit the man himself, as recounting the experience of making the 2004 Wesley Snipes sequel saw Goyer label it “the worst experience” of his career.
That’s not hyperbole either, as we learned during a conversation between Josh Horowitz and the writer also known for his work on Man of Steel and The Dark Knight Trilogy. As he guest starred on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, David S. Goyer flat out gave this statement confirming that claim:
It was the worst experience of my professional career without question.
There’s no way to work around that blunt admission, as Goyer minces no words about how upsetting it all was. Keep in mind, this is the same movie that originated those wild Wesley Snipes strangulation rumors, while actually ending the friendship between himself and Snipes. All of this, plus the tale of a scene where CGI was required to show Snipes opening his eyes, pretty much says it all.
At the same time, further Blade: Trinity anecdotes from David S. Goyer added context that highlight what Wesley Snipes’ life was like at the time of the production. Despite the sum of it horrifying parts, Goyer did have some good things to say about his previous leading man, offered among these further remarks:
It was an incredibly fraught experience it was personally very difficult. I was very depressed afterwards. You talked about one of the nadirs. It was definitely that this is even before the movie came out. Despite all of that I still think Wesley is one of the greatest actors of the current generation and it’s a tragedy that he’s not acting as much as– I mean the guy is brilliant. He was going through a lot of trouble at the time. All that tax stuff was happening right as we started and in fact on our first day of filming there was this whole kerfuffle because the IRS had withheld like a bunch of his money and that was all going on in the background and it was…that’s kind of all I’ll say about it for now but it was it was a mess.
To some Blade: Trinity is The Godfather Part III of superhero movies, which is a pretty apt comparison. When all things are considered, what we saw on screen matches the horror that we’ve heard recounted by Goyer, and other parties involved as well.
At the same time, Goyer’s further remarks do show the turmoil behind the scenes that made it all happen. And in the world of “good, actually” reappraisals, some may find themselves flocking to this movie with fresh enthusiasm. In which case, you should definitely keep the following remarks from fellow Blade: Trinity veteran Patton Oswalt in mind:
Should you be ready to revisit Blade: Trinity, or if you want to stick with the first two entries in the trilogy, all three are currently available to stream. With the convenience of a Max subscription, you can see as many of the Daywalker’s adventures as you choose.
Meanwhile, what we know about the MCU’s Blade has that experience pegged to debut on February 14, 2025. And compared to the growing pains that Blade: Trinity went through, that project’s series of delays now seem like a walk in the park.