Wesley Snipes Breaks Silence On Marvel Studios Rebooting Blade With Mahershala Ali

Marvel Bassam Tariq Mahershala Ali Wesley Snipes Blade Marvel Studios

Wesley Snipes has released a statement regarding Marvel Studios’ Blade reboot with Mahershala Ali.

Wesley Snipes made his debut as Eric Brooks in 1998’s Blade, one of the films credited with launching the superhero film craze that continues to this day, and reprised the role for two sequels. Since then, the screen rights to the character have returned to Marvel Studios and Wesley Snipes has expressed his interest in working with them to bring Blade back to the big screen on multiple occasions.

However, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced a Blade reboot would part of the company’s upcoming slate during its San Diego Comic-Con presentation, with Mahershala Ali now playing the role of the daywalker. Wesley Snipes has released a statement to ComicBook.com in which he congratulated Mahershala Ali for landing the role of Blade, expressed his continued support for Marvel, and thanked his fans for the kind words he received since the reboot announcement. Here’s what Wesley Snipes had to say:

“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. Honor and respect to the grandmaster Stan. Congratulations and Salaam to Mahershala Ali, a beautiful and talented artist whose expressions I look forward to experiencing for many years to come. Inshallah, we will someday work together. Most importantly to my loyal fans, the incredible outpouring of love is overwhelming. I am grateful for the never-ending support. So, ‘nah fret nah worry, it’s not de end of de story.’ Welcome to the Daywalker Klique.

Full details on Mahershala Ali’s Blade are currently unknown, though Kevin Feige confirmed the reboot will be part of Marvel Studios’ Phase 5. The project is said to have come about after Mahershala Ali called Marvel expressing his interest in Blade following his Academy Award win for his performance in Green Book.

In Marvel Comics, Blade is also known as Eric Brooks, the half-human and half-vampire master martial artist whose mother was killed by a vampire during his birth. Since then, Blade has mastered his own fighting style to take on various types of monsters and rid the world of vampires. Wesley Snipes first portrayed the eponymous hero in 1998’s Blade and returned for the first sequel directed by Guillermo del Toro before making what is now his final appearance as the character in Blade Trinity. 

Are you excited to see Mahershala Ali’s take on Blade? Are you upset Wesley Snipes wasn’t cast in the role? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Source: ComicBook.com

Sebastian Peris

Sebastian Peris

Canadian film buff, political junkie, comic book geek, and board game enthusiast.