In a Comic-Con interview with Deadline, Wesley Snipes revealed that he had met with Marvel regarding the future of Blade, a character who acted as a bridge between the popular black leather, Matrix-evoking action films of Y2K and the superhero boom that followed.
We did have a really productive and a wonderful meeting and we discussed a number of things. I don’t know where it’s on their schedule at this point, that hasn’t been decided. I guess it’s still up in the air.
There’s obviously no mistaking this as definitive news by any stretch of the imagination. It’s both encouraging that Marvel and Snipes have met, but important to recognize that Marvel has met with a number of actors and directors over the past decade while considering what properties to pursue next.
The other complication is that there’s really no room at the Marvel inn right now. The studio has so front-loaded its calendar that they’re promising 2–3 movies every year through 2019, making a new Blade not all that likely. If they push ahead with it, the earliest release would be four years from now, and that’s unlikely considering the other established (or soon-to-be) properties and characters the vampire hunter would need to contend with (Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, more Captain America, more Thor, more Guardians).
Thus, even if they add it to the immediate slate, Snipes will be pushing 57 years old by the time it comes out. That’s not a deal breaker, and it could be really cool to see a grisly Blade (just ignore that he’dessentially be an aging vampire).
If he was a bit too slow in The Expendables 3 for your taste, or if the elderly action star trend is too played out, there are plenty of other, younger actors who could take the role if Marvel wants to reintroduce the character. Sticky Fingaz recently played Blade for the Spike TV series, but I imagine Marvel would want to distance themselves from the older property to define the new (or old?) incarnation firmly within their bubble.
It’s more likely that Blade make an appearance in an ensemble film, or in a Daredevil-style Netflix series. Blade was part of “Civil War,” but if he’s going to be in Captain America: Civil War (out next year), Marvel is keeping it close to their chest. Then again, there’s no reason to constrain the character to his comic book appearances – Marvel could shuffle any character they’re engaging/introducing into the MCU wherever they want. Granted, I don’t know how much need there is for vampire hunting in Infinity Wars, but it would be epic to have Tony Stark stroke his goatee and say, “There’s flippin’ vampires now, too?”
To end on a Blade Trinity sidenote, imagine two decades from now when all the rights revert so that Ryan Reynolds can star alongside Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Reynolds in the Hannibal King/Deadpool/Green Lantern crossover. Better yet, don’t imagine it.
Related Topics: Marvel
