Wesley Snipes Returning As Blade?
Wesley Snipes speaks about his return to the character of Blade.
Wesley Snipes will always be Blade to a certain generation of movie and comic book fans. The actor played the role through three films of varying quality and even made a cameo cheekily referencing the character in the FX comedy series What We Do in the Shadows. No matter what, Snipes will always be associated with the character. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe planning to reboot Blade with Mahershala Ali in the title role, many fans have wondered if the original Blade would make any kind of appearance in this new iteration.
Well, it turns out that Wesley Snipes actually has something to say about that. In a recent interview with ET, the once and future Daywalker first gave his support to Mahershala Ali taking over the role. “I’m one thousand percent supportive of it. I think it’s great. Go for it, my man,” Snipes said in regards to Ali’s involvement in the reboot. But, when the subject turned to the possibility of the original Blade showing up in this new version, Snipes offered a passive response.
“You never know. Under the right circumstances, I’m open to play with everybody,” Wesley Snipes said. One has to wonder what the right circumstances could be? Is it a matter of financial compensation, how Snipes would appear in the reboot, or some combination of both? There have been rumors that Marvel was trying to have Snipes appear in the reboot as a character other than Blade. That would not be a total wash, and fans would obviously recognize the homage, but they might also feel cheated. It brings to mind the cast members of the original Ghostbusters appearing as totally different characters in the 2016 film. It was cute but felt like the wrong kind of fan-service.
Still, seeing Wesley Snipes in the Blade reboot in any capacity would help things feel like a passing of the torch. One rumor suggests that Snipes could take on the role of Blade’s mentor, Abraham Whistler. That would certainly give Snipes a lot to play with as well as acting as a very meta acknowledgment of the character’s on-screen legacy. However, having him appear as a multiverse version of Blade would probably be met with uproarious acclaim. It all depends on how wacky the Marvel Cinematic Universe wants to get with the possibility of their multiverse crossovers.
We are certainly rooting for Wesley Snipes showing up in the reboot of Blade. His personal attachment to the character shows that he is committed to the role and does not view it as something disposable or simply exploitative. It is endearing to know that he has such a love of Blade that he still keeps the possibility open that he could work with Marvel once again. No matter how it would eventually take shape, getting to see Wesley Snipes and Mahershala Ali share the screen together is reason enough to want some kind of agreement to be reached between Snipes and Marvel. Here’s hoping we get to hear something concrete in relation to this possibility.
