Deadpool & Wolverine Was Wrong: There Is Another Blade

Mahershala Ali's recent exit from the MCU appears to have confirmed Wesley Snipe's iconic line from Deadpool & Wolverine's, but truthfully, it's already been debunked. Deadpool & Wolverine did an incredible job integrating and paying homage to a variety of previous MCU properties with major stars from the Fox era and earlier returning and officially joining the MCU.

However, one of the most interesting additions was Wesley Snipes, the actor who previously played Blade in the original trilogy of films by David S. Goyer. Considering Marvel Studios had announced Mahershala Ali was set to take on the role in the wider universe, it seemed like an odd choice to include Snipes.

Despite this, the film did lean into the meta-humor of the moment as Snipes delivered the now ominously accurate line, "There's only been one Blade. There's only ever gonna be one Blade," which feels almost like a prediction in the wake of Mahershala Ali's exit. That being said, strictly speaking, Snipes was not the only actor to take on the role of Eric Brooks in live-action thanks to the 2006 TV show, Blade: The Series.

Wesley Snipes Wasn't The Only Live-Action Blade

Wesley Snipes is certainly the most famous (or potentially infamous) actor to have tackled the role of Blade in any Marvel property, having led a widely beloved trilogy of films, before the chaos and conflict that arose during the production of Blade Trinity, which saw Snipes and director Goyer clash on several occasions.

So, it makes perfect sense that, in a new TV series exploring the character which Goyer himself created and developed, they cast a new actor in the role to replace Snipes. Kirk Jones, an actor and rapper who is better known by his stage name, Sticky Fingaz, took on the role of the Daywalker for this series. Over the course of a two-hour pilot episode and a further 11 one-hour stories, he earned the right to be recognized as another important part of the character's history on screen.

This instantly disproves Snipes' cheeky line in Deadpool & Wolverine if indeed, it was referencing the idea of Snipes being the only actor to play the character. However, there is a way in which Snipes' statement is accurate and truthful despite not being the only actor to play the part in live-action.

Blade: The Series Continued David S. Goyer's Original Trilogy

As mentioned above, Goyer had a hand in creating Blade: The Series, with his writing and ideas directly leading to the creation of the series. And with that, it seems as though Goyer didn't want to simply retrace old ground and try again with a new actor and a new format, but he actually created the show as an extension and sequel to the original trilogy.

Blade: The Series picks up after the events of Blade Trinity, and while many central characters were recast, including that of Blade himself, the story is supposed to be a sequel. In this way, Snipes' remark makes more sense, as the character outlived his original run and then returned in Deadpool & Wolverine, making this one continuous portrayal of the character across decades and a select group of actors.

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Unfortunately, early reviews for Blade: The Series were deeply divided, with 50% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes giving the show a negative review, while the other 50% highlighted strengths and positive aspects of the series. As a result, the show didn't make it beyond the first season, but with 12 packed episodes written by the creative mind behind the original trilogy, it's worth a watch.

Blade Made A Big Return In Deadpool & Wolverine

Wesley Snipes joining the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine was an unexpected but mostly welcome surprise. The Blade movies are still praised and beloved by many, and they stand out as one of Marvel's earliest successful adaptations into live-action. So it makes sense that Snipes' return won over audiences and prompted a lot of discussion online.

This return also came in the perfect film with Deadpool & Wolverine, thanks to the nature of that series having meta humor and the connections to the Fox universe, which is where the Deadpool films were able to flourish, in addition to the central presence of Ryan Reynolds, who was also a major part of Blade Trinity, where he played Hannibal King, one of Blade's teammates in the film.

Regardless of how exciting it was to see Snipes return, and how perfect the circumstances were that led to this cameo, it did create confusion and frustration among the fanbase who were impatiently awaiting Mahershala Ali's solo project after it was first announced years earlier. And now, Marvel Studios doesn't even have an actor announced, and the delays to when the film would eventually be released have all amounted to naught.

The MCU's Blade Future Is More Shaky Than Ever

It seems that Snipes is more than happy to revisit the role that launched his career to a whole new level, but with his advanced age and reputation on sets, it's unlikely that the actor would be involved in new releases. Especially considering how young Marvel Studios appears to be hiring new talent, due to the upcoming soft reboot of the MCU after the events of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Mahershala Ali's exit from the MCU then created arguably much bigger issues, though it makes complete sense considering how long the actor was waiting for something more concrete to materialize, and despite various scripts being written and creatives attached, the project appears to now be shrouded in yet more mysteries, including whether the movie will actually play.

If the MCU wants to incorporate Blade at some point in the near future, they need to find another actor to tackle the role, and they need to be better organized so they can get the best audience responses possible. On top of that, they may need to update the script to fit whoever plays the leading role. In addition to any other cast and crew that need to be replaced or rehired, there is also the matter of not having a release date or a director.

Right now, Blade seems like a cursed project doomed to fail, but with several strong casting announcements from the MCU regarding other upcoming projects, it's time to replace Snipes and introduce a new version of Blade for the future of the MCU.