62-year-old Wesley Snipes reprised his role as “Blade” after 20 years in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” surprising fans and breaking two Guinness World Records. Marvel also released the original planned portrayal of Blade in the first film.
As of Sunday (25th), “Deadpool & Wolverine” grossed $18.2 million in its fifth week in North America, reclaiming the top spot at the weekend box office and reaching a global total of $1.211 billion. The film brought back beloved characters from previous Marvel movies, including Wesley Snipes as “Blade,” much to the delight of the audience.
Although Snipes appeared in his classic “Blade” costume in the film, it was not the original plan. On the 23rd, Marvel unveiled the initial costume design on X (link to the picture), showing him in samurai attire with hidden blades and bullets up his sleeves, as artist Wes Burt provided the concept artwork.
Even before Marvel’s success, the first popular film adapted from a comic character was “Blade” in 1998. “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds recently shared a set photo of “Blade” on X (link to the picture), acknowledging Blade’s significance in the Marvel universe.
Snipes previously starred in “Blade II” (2002) and “Blade: Trinity” (2004), reprising his role as “Blade” in “Deadpool & Wolverine”, setting two Guinness World Records. According to Guinness World Records, Snipes played Blade for 25 years and 340 days, surpassing Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine to become the longest-running live-action Marvel character.
Snipes also holds the record for the longest gap between appearances in Marvel movies. It had been 19 years and 231 days since his last portrayal in “Blade: Trinity.” This surpasses Alfred Molina’s 17-year span as “Doctor Octopus” in “Spider-Man 2” (2004) and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021).
Reacting to the records, Snipes jokingly asked if he could receive a certificate and expressed gratitude to Guinness World Records, stating, “I am your fan!” In the film, he teams up with Deadpool, Wolverine, Phantom Killer, The Golden Hand, and X-23 superheroes to battle the main villain, “Cassandra Nova,” and her army of mutants.
However, fans may not see Snipes reprise his role as Blade in the future, as Marvel announced at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con that Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali would portray the character in the next Blade film. Therefore, Snipes admitted last month to “Entertainment Weekly” that he never thought he would play Blade again.
Snipes received a text from Reynolds saying, “I want to talk to you,” who stars in “Deadpool & Wolverine” and had acted alongside Snipes in “Blade: Trinity” twenty years prior. Recalling the conversation, Snipes initially thought it was impossible and was skeptical of Marvel’s interest in him. However, Disney expressed interest, leading to the unexpected call from Reynolds.
Snipes continued, stating, “He shared the idea with me; they said ‘okay’ and ‘done deal,’ and ‘if you’re in, we’re in,’ so here we are.”