Summary

• Wesley Snipes' portrayal in the Blade franchise was iconic, showcasing martial arts skills, witty one-liners, and slaying vampires.
• Despite mixed reactions to Blade: Trinity, Snipes is interested in reprising his role, potentially even in the MCU alongside Mahershala Ali.
• Snipes' potential return as Blade could range from a meta-cameo to playing a new character, integrating past Marvel franchises into the MCU.

Before the commercial potential of R-rated superhero movies and the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Blade franchise was a game-changer with Wesley Snipes playing the titular “Daywalking” vampire-hunter. Starting with 1998’s Blade and then reaching a critical high with the Guillermo del Toro-directed Blade II, Snipes got to showcase his martial arts skills, wield a spiky titanium sword, and deliver one-liners, all the while slaying one bloodsucker after the other. With new-cast members like Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds joining Blade: Trinity, Snipes’ third franchise outing increased the budget and pitted him against Dominic Purcell’s take on Dracula.

Blade: Trinity concluded the Blade trilogy with mixed responses from fans and critics. Now, as Mahershala Ali gears up to play the Marvel hero in the MCU reboot of Blade, devoted fans of the older films will still miss Snipes’ presence. It’s still plausible to imagine Snipes’ Blade appearing in a multiversal reality in an upcoming MCU project, much like how past Spider-Men heroes and villains swung their way in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Snipes, too, seems interested in returning as the character even as his interest serves as a reminder of a particularly turbulent behind-the-scenes chapter of Blade: Trinity.

The Story Behind Blade: Trinity's CGI Eyes

The Director Couldn’t Convince The Daywalker To Open Them

Blade: Trinity is often ranked lower than other Blade movies, with one much-talked-about detail being the notorious CGI eyes. When Blade wakes up from his supposed death in a morgue, his eyes are rendered in CGI. This decision to use VFX for Blade’s eyes stems from the on-set conflict between leading man Wesley Snipes and writer-director David S. Goyer. Snipes (who also served as executive producer) was reportedly not pleased with Goyer’s inclusion as director. Talking on Happy Sad Confused, Goyer called the project the worst experience of his professional career.

David S. Goyer wrote all three Blade movies starring Wesley Snipes and marked his directorial debut with the 2022 crime drama Zig Zag (also starring Snipes).

Blade: Trinity cast member Patton Oswalt also told The A.V. Club that Snipes would mostly spend time in his trailer and come out only for the closeup shots (with Goyer using stand-ins for other scenes). The CGI eyes controversy in Blade: Trinity gets complicated as Snipes has denied throwing behind-the-scenes tantrums, deeming Oswalt’s claims as false. Talking to The Guardian, Snipes said that his status as an executive producer was “a hard concept for a lot of people to wrap their head around”. He adds that he was more than an actor for hire and had contractual directorial approval.

Snipes' Interest In Returning To Blade Is Surprising Given The Blade: Trinity Drama

It Seems That The Actor Has No More Bad Blood With The Franchise

Despite his alleged tantrums on the sets of Blade: Trinity, Wesley Snipes is surprisingly willing to play the damphir vampire-hunter yet again. In a 2022 interview with Comicbook.com, Snipes confessed that he’s still interested in reprising his role as long as he’s healthy and in shape. The Demolition Man and Drop Zone actor added that Marvel Studios hasn’t reached out to him with any future possibilities but he’s still optimistic as he said, “Never say never.” Snipes seems to be in two minds as he also said, “It seems to me if it would've happened, it would've happened already.”

From acting in Michael Jackson’s “Bad” music video to getting top billing in 90s action hits, Wesley Snipes has enjoyed a diverse acting career. But it makes sense for Snipes to want to revisit Blade given how the Marvel hero has been his most iconic character so far. After most of his recent appearances being supporting parts in The Expendables 3, Dolemite is My Name, and Coming 2 America, returning as Blade might offer him a welcome change. Given that Blade: Trinity will mark 20 years of release in 2024, Snipes’ emotional wounds or grudges might have healed by now.

Could Wesley Snipes Really Play Blade Again?

Possibilities Range From A Meta Cameo To A Whole Different Character

Despite the Marvel Cinematic Universe finding its new Blade in Mahershala Ali (who was first teased through a voice cameo in Eternals), Wesley Snipes can still find his way into the current narrative. With Deadpool and Wolverine connecting the Fox X-Men movies with the MCU, previous Marvel franchises could also be reintroduced (like New Line Cinema’s Blade trilogy). Even if it’s a cheeky cameo in a Deadpool movie, Wesley Snipes’ return will satisfy fans of the original movies. After all, the actor already parodied Blade in an unexpected cameo in FX’s vampire comedy series What We Do In The Shadows.

With changing directors and production delays, the making of MCU’s Blade is very turbulent. But Mahershala Ali’s casting has remained unchanged. So, expecting Wesley Snipes as Blade would probably align with a multiversal cameo where he plays an alternate version of the character (much like John Krasinski playing Mr. Fantastic in the Doctor Strange sequel or the returning Spider-Men in Spider-Man: No Way Home). But as that trick has been used many times before, it’s also possible for Snipes to appear in the MCU's Blade movie as a brand-new character with his presence being a perfect Easter egg for audiences.