Blade Returns: Wesley Snipes Talks 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Cameo and Mahershala Ali
Wesley Snipes, the iconic star of the original 'Blade' trilogy, makes a surprise return as the Daywalker in 'Deadpool & Wolverine'. In an exclusive interview, Snipes reveals how he almost didn't think it was possible and how he got back into Blade shape.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Marvel dropped a bombshell: Wesley Snipes, the beloved actor who first brought Blade to life on the big screen, would be reprising his role in the multiversal adventure, *Deadpool & Wolverine*. The revelation sent the crowd into a frenzy, with Snipes receiving one of the loudest cheers of the evening.
"Over the years, we've had some interesting conversations, some more serious than others," Snipes told *Entertainment Weekly
in a backstage interview. "I kind of assumed I was done with it, which was fine. I did three films, and I thought they turned out pretty well. Not bad at all."
Then came a text from Ryan Reynolds, the star, producer, and co-writer of *Deadpool & Wolverine*, who had appeared in *Blade: Trinity
with Snipes 20 years ago. It simply read, "I want to talk to you."
"I didn't think it was possible," Snipes recalled. "I didn't think we could pull it off. I didn't think Marvel or Disney were interested, especially since they had cast Mahershala Ali for the upcoming reboot." Mahershala Ali has been attached to star in a *Blade
reboot set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years, though the project remains in development. "It didn't make sense to me, but when you get a call from Ryan Reynolds out of the blue after 20 years, you pick up. You want to know what's going on," Snipes continued. "He told me the idea... They said 'yes' and 'it's a go.' 'If you're in, we're in.' And here we are."
*Deadpool & Wolverine
sees Wade Wilson (Reynolds) embarking on a multiversal odyssey alongside Logan (Hugh Jackman), traversing different alternate realities. After the events of 2018's *Deadpool 2*, the Time Variance Authority (introduced in the Disney+ series *Loki*) brings Wade to their boss, Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen). He learns that his reality is dying and sets out to find a variant of Wolverine to save it. Their journey leads them to encounters with a host of iconic characters, including Jennifer Garner's Elektra, Channing Tatum's Gambit, Dafne Keen's X-23, and of course, Snipes' Blade.
Keeping his role a secret, even from his family, proved "very challenging" for Snipes. But the true challenge, he says, was getting back into Blade shape to wear the iconic suit again.
"I wasn't Blade ready, man," he confessed. "I don't walk around as Blade every day, you know what I mean? With a trench coat and shades and fangs in my mouth. We had to work out." Snipes continued, "We definitely had to get the body, and my biggest concern was being in condition enough to handle whatever the action was. They didn't tell me what the action would be, so I prepared for anything. Thankfully, I didn't have to do as much as I thought because action movies are tough. They're not easy at all. About a month in, I got the body right... and then, with the help of a little foam in certain areas, it was all good to go, baby. Let's ride!"
His big action scene comes during a team-up with Elektra, Gambit, X-23, Deadpool, and Wolverine against Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), a powerful telekinetic and telepath who rules over a horde of mutants. "Man, it was so cold," Snipes remarked. "My nuts shriveled up to about that, brother. It was so cold when we shot this. We started before the strike in the summer. Then we had to come back, and it was winter. We were shooting in Europe, and it was very, very tough. Action scenes in subzero weather are not easy, and not good for your health."
Snipes fondly remembers working with Reynolds on *Blade: Trinity*, where Reynolds played Hannibal King, a fellow vampire hunter. Even then, Reynolds' signature sense of humour was evident. "Some of the things he did back then, that's not really my humour," Snipes said. "I'm not tuned in that way. It's a little over the top for me. But seeing him do it in this context [in *Deadpool & Wolverine*] made a lot of sense. And seeing him do it and do it well, Ryan does something that most people can't do. He's unique in that way, and he's found a fantastic niche for himself. Deadpool is Ryan Reynolds all day long. So it was enjoyable. It was enjoyable to work with him. It was enjoyable to revisit."
Asked if he had connected with Ali since the *Blade
reboot was announced, Snipes replied, "Not since all the stories about the reboots have dropped. We haven't spoken." He did reference a statement he released in 2019 after Ali's casting was made official, telling "all the DAYWALKERS losing their minds right now" to "chillaaxx". He congratulated Ali, calling him "a beautiful and talented artist whose expressions I look forward to experiencing for many years to come."
"I shouted him out, told him he's got all my blessings and support," Snipes continued. "I even referenced the fact that some of the challenges they're facing with the project shouldn't be accredited to him." Multiple writers and directors have come and gone from the new *Blade
project over the years. Amidst the delays, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige commented to *BlackTree TV* while promoting *Deadpool & Wolverine*, "For the last few years, weâve been trying to crack that movie. The most important thing for us is not rushing it and making the right *Blade* movie."
"It's not the actor's fault," Snipes said, defending Ali. "There's a lot more that goes on with pulling this Blade stuff off. You need a lot of secret sauce to do the Blade thing, man. Good luck. You're my man, though."
