Wesley Snipes Just Made the ‘Blade’ Reboot Debacle Even More Confusing
"There's only been one Blade. Only ever gonna be one Blade.”
After Wesley Snipes’ surprise cameo in Marvel’s latest phase 5 outing, Deadpool & Wolverine, I think it’s safe to say that we’re all a bit worried about the state of the 2025 Blade reboot, which is supposed to star Mahershala Ali. Now, Snipes has chimed in, not confirming nor denying his involvement in the film.
It was the line that raised eyebrows in movie theaters around the world: “There’s only been one Blade. Only ever gonna be one Blade.” This, of course, is said by Snipes during his character’s shining moment in the climax of Deadpool & Wolverine, which sees him fighting Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) in the Void alongside Channing Tatum’s Gambit, X-23/Laura (Dafne Keen), and Elektra (Jennifer Garner)—with some help from Logan (Hugh Jackman) and Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), of course.
Although it could be interpreted as a one-off gag on Snipes’ behalf or a tongue-in-cheek jab at the MCU, some interpreted it differently. Chronically online fans know that the Mahershala Ali-fronted Blade remake, which Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, has been stuck in development limbo. After all, 2019 was a different time for the MCU, back when it wasn’t being weighed down by a string of underwhelming movies and Disney+ spinoffs. Since then, we’ve seen a number of projects shelved or flat-out canceled, leading some to wonder if Blade will suffer a similar fate.
So was Snipes’ appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine proof that Marvel is ditching Blade 2025? Or will Snipes, perhaps, reprise his role? Either way, he seems to have Some Thoughts about the whole thing.
Wesley Snipes responds to Blade reboot recasting rumors, again
In the wake of Snipes’ Deadpool & Wolverine cameo, some have called for Marvel to cancel the 2025 Blade reboot altogether. The movie clearly reinvigorated fans’ love for his iteration of the Vampire slayer, and his whole “only ever gonna be one Blade” schpiel seems to have a portion of the fandom convinced that there should only be one Blade. Putting two and two together, the return of Snipes’ Blade and the lack of progress on the 2025 reboot seem to imply that the project might be scrapped for good.
Earlier this week, the OG Blade actor took to Instagram to share a screenshot of a headline reading, “Cancel Mahershala Ali’s Blade Movie And Bring Wesley Snipes’ Daywalker Into The MCU.” He captioned his post with, “Y’all, crazy! hahaha,” which…doesn’t really clear anything up.
Of course, this could just be Snipes sharing his immediate gut reaction to the article, but still—seems a bit dismissive, no? Almost like he A.) agrees with the sentiment or B.) knows something we don’t. Or, there’s the mysterious, undisclosed third option: I’m just reading too much into it.
Is Blade 2025 canceled? Technically, no.
So, are these just baseless rumors? Until Kevin Feige and Co. chime in, essentially, yes. It’s true that production on the new Blade film has moved at a snail’s pace, but it hasn’t been erased from Marvel’s phase 6 slate, nor does Mahershala Ali have yet to drop out as the title hero. So while it is odd that Feige neglected to comment on Blade during Marvel’s Hall H panel at last month’s SDCC in favor of Captain America: Brave New World, Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Thunderbolts, technically, it’s still a go.
To be clear, there is currently no Wesley Snipes-led Blade movie in development at Marvel, and Mahershala Ali’s take on the iconic Daywalker is still his next scheduled appearance. The latest Blade news is that director Yann Demange reportedly exited the project in June, which even garnered a response from Snipes on X (Twitter) then. He obviously has a lot of love for this character, but again, his remarks don’t necessarily prove that Blade 2025 has been canceled, even if his Deadpool cameo threw fuel on the rumor fire. And if the movie has been severely delayed. And if it doesn’t have a director. And—
From its initial announcement at SDCC 2019 to a bevy of casting updates and a rotating door of directors, it’s no wonder people are so confused about the MCU’s planned Blade reboot. I think there’s certainly room for more than one Eric Brooks in the Multiverse, but who knows? Maybe this really is a franchise best left untouched. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see when—and if—the upper echelon at Marvel addresses the film’s fate as it inches closer to its November 2025 release window. Sure, Jan…
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