Wesley Snipes’ surprise cameo as vampire hunter Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine has reignited calls from fans to see the acclaimed actor reprise his iconic Marvel role. Since the blockbuster’s release, Ryan Reynolds – who stars as the wisecracking Merc with a Mouth – has been loudly advocating on social media for Snipes to receive a fitting send-off à la Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine swan song Logan.
Reynolds and director Shawn Levy have revealed the idea to include Blade in the time-hopping adventure was partly inspired by wanting to give long-time fans an overdue nostalgic hit. “Wesley’s return was an early idea of Ryan’s,” Levy told Variety. “We wanted to explore legacy and Ryan felt people don’t realize how much they miss Snipes’ Blade.”
There is no Fox Marvel Universe or MCU without Blade first creating a market. He’s Marvel Daddy. Please retweet for a Logan-like send off. #DeadpoolAndWolverine pic.twitter.com/wGv2ixBT8G
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 5, 2024
Though excited to see Mahershala Ali take up the sword in the already troubled Blade reboot, many now question if continuing Snipes’ storyline could be a simpler solution. With concept art even existing for a scrapped “Daywalker” film, giving the original Blade a gritty finale seems to be what devotees truly crave.
Snipes himself has greeted the fan movement with good humor on social media, avoiding outright confirmation or denial of interest. The cameo also saw the actor break Hugh Jackman’s Guinness World Record for longest career as a live-action Marvel character at 25 years.
As Deadpool & Wolverine continues conquering the global box office with a starry ensemble including Emma Corrin and Rob Delaney, the vampire-hunting future remains an open debate. Whether in an Ali reboot or final Snipes film, Marvel fans eagerly await news of the Daywalker’s next step.