Netflix's Day Shift is the streaming giant's first original foray into vampire-hunting action, and it issues a very specific challenge to the MCU's upcoming Blade movie. One of cinema's most iconic movie monsters, the vampire, comes to Netflix in Day Shift - a vampire action-comedy led by Jamie Foxx. Foxx stars as Bud Jablonski, a pool cleaner who, in reality, hunts vampires in the San Fernando Valley. Alongside Foxx, Day Shift stars Dave Franco as Seth, an administrator for the vampire hunting union that reluctantly accompanies Bud into the field, and Snoop Dogg as one of Bud's fellow vampire hunters.

Day Shift uses its vampire-centric story to achieve both compelling action and riotous comedy in equal measure. Action star Scott Adkins also features to lend the film some added stunt pedigree, while Dave Franco and Jamie Foxx each boast an impressive comedic resume. This makes Day Shift a vampire film with a stake in multiple genres, and it also helps to set the Netflix original apart from its contemporaries in the vampire subgenre, which predominantly fall into just one of either the action, horror, or comedy genres, but rarely all three at once.

Day Shift's vampire-hunting premise is an attractive - albeit somewhat unoriginal - idea, and it may actually make the film particularly significant concerning future releases. As Marvel is set to introduce the MCU's own vampire hunter in 2023 with Blade, Day Shift's release is a timely one. Though the Netflix movie may not have made the same buzz as the average MCU release, the potential for a Day Shift sequel or franchise is clear, and the similarities between Day Shift and Blade could give Marvel cause for concern.

Day Shift's Blade Inspiration Will Prompt Comparisons


Though the most obvious way in which Day Shift and Blade are alike is that they both concern the exploits of a Black vampire hunter, this is only the most superficial of the similarities between them. There are also elements of Bud Jablonski's hunting skills that are reminiscent of Blade: he uses a machete while hunting vampires (not unlike Blade's sword in Marvel Comics), he employs vampire-killing gadgets, and prefers to work alone but accepts help from an older mentor (and later in the movie, a younger team inexperienced in killing vampires). There are more than a few similarities between Day Shift's protagonist and Blade, and that will undoubtedly prompt comparisons between the Netflix movie and the upcoming MCU release.

Interestingly, Day Shift also touches on one of the key components of Blade's stories - a vampire that hunts other vampires. Marvel's Blade is known as the Daywalker, a half-vampire able to operate in sunlight. Some of Day Shift's vampires boast the same ability (at least, to an extent), and the film's final act sees Seth turn into a vampire before helping Bud take down Audrey. That some of Day Shift's vampire hunters are also vampires is another way that the movie seems to explore the same ideas as Blade, which will only lead to further comparisons between the two. The fact that these similarities are far more than merely superficial is significant because the more alike the two vampire-hunting movies are, the more intense the competition between them will be.

Day Shift's Comedy Is Something The MCU Can't Do


Day Shift embracing the comedic talents of its stars is one of the film's biggest draws, and it's also perhaps the most important way the Netflix film can outshine the MCU's Blade movie. Day Shift's comedy is a mixture of the gruesome and the juvenile: there are jokes about decapitation and murder, and there are also jokes about bodily functions. The comedic chemistry between Foxx and Franco helps sell Day Shift's comedy, but it also highlights exactly what the MCU's Blade can't do.

The MCU Blade movie will almost certainly struggle to match Day Shift's comedy, which means it won't be able to compete with its more light-hearted tone. The MCU's movies are generally targeted at the broadest audience possible, and a great deal of Day Shift's humor isn't appropriate for younger viewers. What's more, the star of MCU's Blade, Mahershala Ali, is an acclaimed dramatic actor, and therefore competing with Day Shift's comedy simply isn't something that Marvel's own vampire hunter is likely to do.

Why The MCU's Blade Probably Won't Match Day Shift's Brutality


As Blade can't compete with Day Shift on a comedic level, it will have to compete with its action instead. However, this may also be a significant issue for Blade's MCU debut because Day Shift is R-rated and contains its fair share of bloodshed. Though the Netflix movie injects comedy into its story, it's predominantly an action-horror movie, and this is achieved with surprising competence. With veteran stunt performer J.J. Perry directing, Day Shift offers an impressive amount of well-executed action, and the sheer brutality of some scenes is something that Marvel may find difficult to compete with.

The movies of the MCU may be relatively action-heavy, but they usually keep their violence to a minimum. Again, this is because Marvel usually aims for a more universal approach to its heroes that allows for the biggest possible audience. Though introducing vampires into the MCU may move Marvel to embrace a more bloody and violent tone for Blade, their usual approach is to keep blood and gore to an absolute minimum, which could mean that Day Shift would win in the action department, too.

A Day Shift Franchise Could Become An Unexpected MCU Rival


Should Day Shift become a franchise, it could cause significant problems for the MCU. Netflix is known to seize upon the success of their original titles, and therefore, should demand for a Day Shift sequel arise, the streaming giant will almost certainly deliver. The early success of Day Shift and comments from Jamie Foxx indicate that there may well be a sequel on the cards, which would actually be terrible news for the MCU.

As Day Shift's ending left its story open to a continuation, Netflix may opt to do so while interest remains high. This could potentially put Day Shift 2's hypothetical release date close to Blade's in late 2023, which would only intensify this burgeoning rivalry. Though the MCU has dominated the box office over recent years, Day Shift's careful blend of action and comedy may have tapped into a formula that will allow it to top Marvel's own vampire-hunting movie. Whether Day Shift can surpass Blade in popularity remains to be seen, but the odds of Netflix's triumph over Marvel are higher than they may initially seem.