Though Marvel has replaced Wesley Snipes with Mahershala Ali in Blade, there’s still a possibility for Snipes’ return. Marvel first announced that Mahershala Ali would star as the titular half-human and half-vampire at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. Since then, the studio has sprinkled hints of Ali’s Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, notably including a few specific Blade Easter eggs in Loki. Despite the teases, Marvel has been scant on details for the upcoming film. However, the studio has seemingly found its director in Bassam Tariq. The director is perhaps best known for Mogul Mowgli, a film starring Riz Ahmed.

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Wesley Snipes first brought Blade to the big screen in a 1998 film. The movie about the titular vampire-killing Daywalker was a box office hit at the time, earning more than 130 million worldwide. The success of Blade earned the franchise two more sequels in Blade II and Blade: Trinity. While both sequels were financially successful, behind-the-scenes issues plagued Trinity. One harrowing story even alleges Snipes strangled director David S. Goyer, which the director hasn’t denied. However, Snipes has shut down rumors of any bad behavior.

Though Blade will have Ali as its main star, there’s still a chance for Snipes to return. Marvel’s Loki showcased variants of the God of Mischief throughout its first season. These variants often looked different from Hiddleston’s character and had variations of the God of Mischief’s powers. Lady Loki (Sophia Di Martino), one of the Loki variants, kills He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) in the Loki finale. Since He Who Remains ran the Time Variance Authority and the Sacred Timeline, his death unleashes the Multiverse on the MCU. Because of He Who Remains’ death, various variants are free from the constraints of the Sacred Timeline, possibly allowing them to crossover into other timeline branches. Snipes could return as one of these variants.

Making Snipes a Blade variant is an easy task for Marvel. Snipes was synonymous with Blade ahead of Ali’s casting, headlining a trilogy of iconic comic book movies. So his appearance in a Marvel movie would make him immediately recognizable as a variation of the character. Marvel has already made notable actors variants of Loki, having Richard E. Grant and Deobia Oparei appear as alternate versions of the God of Mischief. Also, the MCU is currently crossing over with other film franchises, bringing back villains from past Spider-Man movies in Spider-Man: No Way Home. So casting Snipes as a variant should fit in seamlessly with the MCU’s future movies and shows.

If Snipes were cast as a Blade variant, the MCU has ample opportunities to include him. Blade is an obvious choice, as the character could potentially meet up with Ali’s version of Blade. However, Moon Knight is another opportunity, as both Blade and Moon Knight are associated with Marvel’s Midnight Sons. Additionally, Sony’s Morbius is already crossing over with Marvel by including Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes/Vulture. With the importance of Morbius to Blade’s backstory, Snipes’ original Daywalker could be taking down vampires a lot sooner than expected.

Key Release Dates
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  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Sep 03, 2021
  • Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
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About The Author


Bill Bradley
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Bill is an experienced reporter who’s covered entertainment and fandom since 2014. He’s done everything from unearthing the discarded Game of Thrones pilot script in a library in Texas to finding out why Steve left Blue’s Clues. He also enjoys eating Taco Bell and drinking chocolate milk.

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