Nearly a quarter-century ago, Wesley Snipes helped usher in a new era of superhero movies with the first film in the Blade trilogy, bringing Marvel's premier vampire hunter to life. Now, the anti-hero is set to make his long-awaited arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mahershala Ali takes over the role for Marvel Studios' own version of Blade.
Thus far, there is very little information known about where Marvel Studios will take Blade, although that picture could become clearer over the next few months. In terms of the cast, Da 5 Bloods star Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre from SyFy's superhero show Krypton are reportedly set to appear alongside Ali, but there are still plenty of other roles that need actors soon.
Although excitement is certainly building to see Ali's version of Marvel's half-vampire anti-hero, many fans are wondering if this new movie will include Wesley Snipes as part of the cast in any form. Well, as it turns out, not even Snipes himself knows if that will come to pass when the movie moves further into development.
Wesley Snipes Addresses Potential Blade Return
Speaking with ComicBook, former Blade star Wesley Snipes addressed whether he'll be in the cast for Marvel Studios' upcoming Blade film.
When asked if Marvel had contacted him about being in the next Blade movie, Snipes simply said "No, not as of yet." He even joked about trying to get his acting skills up to par, hinting that the studio may be waiting until a later date for any new developments:
"I'm still working on my acting skills. So when I come up as an actor, maybe they'll reach out and say, 'Let's have a conversation,' or maybe they don't feel I'm ensemble player."
Will the Original Blade Join the MCU?
In the first 18 months since Phase 4 started, Marvel Studios has taken plenty of opportunities to bring back legacy actors in some form or another into new movies and TV shows. This already includes Evan Peters in WandaVision, nearly a dozen combined heroes and villains in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the entire Illuminati from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And this could be just the start.
Although it seems unlikely that Snipes would come back as his own version of Blade, it could be a meaningful moment to include him in the new Blade cast as any sort of player on screen. After all, without the success that his original trilogy earned between 1998 and 2004, the MCU may never have had a chance to exist, much less be the biggest franchise in movie history.
That being said, there is still plenty of time for Marvel Studios to make the call to Snipes about being a part of the MCU's Blade, whether it be for a cameo or in a new supporting role behind Mahershala Ali. Fans are certainly hoping for it to happen, as Snipes has appeared in a few movies and TV shows over the past few years and still feels connected to his original superhero movie role.
Blade is reportedly set to begin filming this July. There is no set timeframe for its debut in theaters.
