Wesley Snipes Doesn't Want Anyone Else to Play Blade

Screen Rant

By Thomas Bacon

Published Dec 23, 2017

Wesley Snipes has revealed he's still hoping to return as Marvel's vampire-hunter, Blade. Deadpool's success makes that more likely than ever before.

Wesley Snipes still wants to play the role of Blade in the MCU. Snipes' superhero career launched in 1998, when he played a heavily-adapted Daywalker for New Line's Blade. The film was a remarkable success, grossing $131.2 million against a budget of only $45 million.

Blade launched a successful film franchise, which sadly came to an end with 2004's Blade: Trinity. Where the first two films were critical and commercial successes, the third was seen as a huge disappointment by most. Snipes was reportedly difficult to work with, and wound up suing New Line Cinema and director David S. Goyer. Snipes dropped out of the role, and was replaced by Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones for a short-lived TV series.

The Blade film franchise may have come to a close in 2004, but it's still fondly remembered by superhero and horror fans. Not ready to leave arguably his signature role behind, Snipes has just taken to social media to stress that he'd still love to play the part going forward.

The screen rights to Blade reverted back to Marvel in 2011. The franchise has never felt like a good fit for the MCU, where the movies tend to aim for a PG-13 rating and try to be family friendly. There are signs that may soon change, though. Disney's purchase of FOX gives Marvel access to a successful R-rated property, Deadpool. Disney CEO Bob Iger has already assured fans that the Merc With A Mouth's future is secure, and that he'll stay R-rated. There's no reason Blade couldn't join Deadpool as an R-rated Marvel franchise.

Looking beyond the big screen, the last two years have seen Marvel Television explore some new approaches. Working with Netflix, Marvel has created a darker, more violent corner of the MCU. It's currently populated by street-fighters such as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and the Punisher. There's no reason Marvel Television couldn't create supernatural shows with a similar tone and style. Over on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season 4 saw Marvel introduce the supernatural in Gabriel Luna's Ghost Rider. That proved to be a tremendous success, and with the series remaining at a later timeslot for season 5, it could potentially unveil vampires in the future.

Even if Marvel does choose to bring Blade into the MCU at last, they may not be open to hiring Snipes for the role. The success of Marvel's Spider-Man relaunch proves that the House of Ideas prefers to recreate, rather than repeat. Snipes' success is a crucial part of Marvel's past, but it may not be appropriate for their future. In the case of Blade, using Snipes would be an approach unlike any Marvel has attempted before. It would suggest that New Line's trilogy - including Blade: Trinity - had been absorbed into the canon of the MCU. Given Trinity's poor reception, and troubled history, that may not be a smart move on Marvel's part.

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Source: Wesley Snipes