After years away from theaters, the Blade franchise is coming back - but it has a new
leading man.
Why did Marvel decide to go with Mahershala Ali as its new Blade instead of sticking with
Wesley Snipes?
While we wait for the character's Phase 5 MCU revival, here's everything we know.
By August of 2019, Wesley Snipes will be 57 years old.
Granted, Snipes has aged well and we're willing to bet the guy who gave us the martial arts
moves we saw in his many action flicks can still throw a mean kick.
Also, age is meaning less and less these days when it comes to casting.
Harrison Ford was 65 when Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released
in theaters, and even though he's now in his late 70s, he'll return to the role again in
Indiana Jones 5.
Not to mention the impressive advances in de-aging technology – something Marvel Studios
has already used successfully a number of times to impressive results.
"Do me a favor?
Try not to burn the house down before Monday?"
"OK, so it's Monday.
That is good to know.
I will plan my toga party accordingly."
But there are differences between those examples and the potential of casting Snipes as Blade
- the most glaring issue being that Blade's part vampire.
A 77-year-old can play Indiana Jones because Indy's human.
In the first Blade film series, it's established Blade ages normally.
But in the comics, while Blade isn't immortal like full vampires, he ages slower than humans.
The new Blade films may be closer to the comics in this way.
If so, having a 57-year-old half-vampire who looks like he's 57 doesn't work.
Largely thanks to a 2012 A.V.
Club interview with Patton Oswalt about his most memorable roles, Wesley Snipes' supposed
behavior on the set of Blade: Trinity has become absolutely, hilariously infamous.
"If you sit and watch Blade Trinity, it's a D-.
It just doesn't work.
But if you know what they went through to get that movie made… it is an A."
Snipes and Trinity director David Goyer didn't get along behind the camera.
According to Oswalt, Snipes accused Goyer of racism and at one point sat down with the
director and tried to convince him to quit, only to have Goyer retort that since they'd
already filmed all of Snipes' close-ups and could use a stand-in for everything else,
Snipes should quit instead.
Oswalt said after that confrontation, Snipes refused to communicate with Goyer directly.
"After a while, he resorted to just - he would communicate with Post-Its that he would give
to the director… and each one he would sign 'Blade.'"
Blade: Trinity came out well over a decade ago, and it could be that Snipes has mellowed
with age.
Regardless, Marvel will probably try to recruit some impressive directorial talent for their
new Blade film, and doing that will probably be easier without a lead actor you can't even
get to use his words.
"Come on - use your words, buddy."
It could be that any concern about Wesley Snipes returning to play Blade is baseless
- but that still doesn't change the reality that we got to see Snipes play Blade in three
films.
Bringing him back to the role would waste the marvelous opportunity of finding a new
actor to give us a different shade of Blade.
Mahershala Ali is a tremendous catch.
We don't know much about the film yet, including its release date, but we know plenty about
Ali's talent.
He's got two Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role under his belt - one
for 2017's Moonlight and another for 2019's Green Book.
He's brilliant as political consultant Remy Danton in House of Cards, as well as the villain
Cottonmouth in the first season of Luke Cage.
Any Marvel fan, any Blade fan, or just any person with even slightly good taste should
be thrilled about the casting.
"It looks like you brought your own hat, Mahershala.
You did?
What is that?"
Just because Wesley Snipes won't be returning as Blade doesn't mean he won't be in the film.
When it comes to paying tribute to writers, artists, and actors, Marvel Studios has a
fine track record, and there's no reason Snipes couldn't fill another role in the upcoming
Blade.
One perfect choice could be the role of Whistler - Blade's mentor-slash-father figure.
Kris Kristofferson played Whistler in the original film trilogy, and Snipes could be
perfect casting for the rebooted character.
"How do you feel."
"Like hammered s---."
We're not the first ones to have the idea.
Immediately following the news of Ali's casting as the new Blade, Snipes fans reacted quickly.
Many accepted the new casting but with the preference that they wanted Snipes in the
film in some capacity, even if it was just a cameo, and more than a few fans named Whistler
as a perfect fit.
Since we know Snipes talked to Marvel about something, this may already be in the works.
In a couple of years we could see Snipes yelling at Ali for saving vampire-bite survivors and
chain-smoking while spilling gasoline all over the place.
Whatever his reputation for on-set shenanigans might be, you've got to give Wesley Snipes
this much: After the news broke that Marvel had hired Mahershala Ali to play the rebooted
Blade, the O.G.
Daywalker took it publicly in stride, waiting a few days for things to settle down before
talking to the press and assuring his fans that he supports the studio's decision.
Snipes addressed his fans in a statement, writing, in part:
"To all the DAYWALKERS losing their minds right now, chillaaxx.
Although the news comes as a surprise, it's ALL good.
Such is the 'business' of 'entertainment!'
Much peace to the MCU crew - always a fan.
[…] Congratulations and Salaam to Mahershala Ali, a beautiful and talented artist whose
expressions I look forward to experiencing for many years to come."
Whether Snipes' magnanimous reaction stems from a secret involvement in the new Blade
or simply some good old-fashioned maturity is anyone's guess at this point.
Either way, it looks like everyone's happy with the way the future of the franchise is
shaping up - even if the man who originally brought the central character to life has
ended up losing the role in the process.
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