Ryan Reynolds has seemingly turned things around for the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that “Deadpool & Wolverine” has crossed the billion-dollar mark at the global box office. But while Reynolds might be the MCU’s savior in 2024, he’s not the first actor to rescue Marvel from cinematic obsolescence. Back in 2008, Robert Downey Jr. changed Hollywood forever when he played the titular hero in Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man,” launching what would become the biggest blockbuster franchise in cinema history and proving Marvel could make icons out of the heroes it hadn’t yet licensed to other production companies. But even RDJ wasn’t the first savior of Marvel. No, the first actor to truly give Marvel a cinematic hit was Wesley Snipes with the unimpeachable “Blade.”
In 1998, Snipes debuted as the effortlessly-cool daywalking vampire hunter in a film that would make $131 million on a $45 million budget. Compared to the kind of returns the Marvel Cinematic Universe sees, that ain’t much. But in 1998, Marvel had just filed for bankruptcy and its previous film efforts were, well, not good. There was 1986’s “Howard the Duck,” a direct-to-video “Captain America” in 1990, and a “Fantastic Four” that still hasn’t seen an official release. So, “Blade” making a profit was a big deal, establishing the character in the wider culture and cementing Snipes as a bonafide action star.
So, why would Snipes want to tarnish that legacy by showing up in a lighthearted, irreverent romp through the rubble of the MCU in 2024? Well, aside from the fact the two “Blade” sequels already went some way to doing just that, it seems Snipes was convinced to show up in “Deadpool & Wolverine” by the ever-charming Reynolds.
Wesley Snipes defined Blade
Two follow-up films came in the years after “Blade,” with 2004’s “Blade Trinity” teaming Wesley Snipes with Jessica Biel and future “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds. But for anyone who’s old enough to remember a pre-Raimi “Spider-Man” and “X-Men” world, “Blade” was somewhat miraculous. Snipes essentially was Blade in the same way Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man, and he made it look easy and stylish. When he wasn’t burning vampires to a crisp and driving his sleek, all-black ’68 Charger, he was taking out entire undead hordes during underground blood raves as if it was nothing.
The whole film had a cohesive atmosphere, too, marked by an ambient level of doom and despair made bearable only by the sheer level of badassery on display from Snipes’ vamp hunter. What’s more, the environments felt tactile and visceral, caked in an industrial grime that gave the movie a visual personality — the exact opposite of the flat, CGI backgrounds that have come to define the MCU in recent years.
Of all movies, then, why would you bring Blade back in “Deadpool & Wolverine?” Just look at what happened to Michael Keaton in the box office bomb that was “The Flash.” For some reason, Warner Bros. and DC thought taking a character defined by the moody, expressionist environs of Tim Burton’s late-80s and early-90s Batman movies and sticking him in a modern comedy blockbuster was going to work. But it didn’t, and there was absolutely no reason why shoehorning Blade, relentless scourge of the vampire underworld into a movie where Ryan Reynolds essentially performs a 90-minute standup routine, would be any different — especially since Snipes famously didn’t like working with Reynolds in “Blade Trinity.” If there’s anything I’d like to ask Snipes, then, it’s, “Why?”
Wesley Snipes wasn’t sure about Deadpool & Wolverine at first
More than 25 years after he first debuted as the character, Wesley Snipes returned as Blade in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The film as a whole is packed with such cameos, and ostensibly pays homage to the erstwhile 20th Century Fox Marvel universe, while simultaneously coming across as what /Film’s Witney Seibold described as “a soulless act of autofellatio,” and “a prayer to corporate onanism.” As such, Snipes’ return, unfortunately, represents a pale imitation of the brooding badass we first met in 1998. All of which raises the question of why he said yes in the first place.
Well, according to “Deadpool & Wolverine” director Shawn Levy, it was all down to Ryan Reynolds. In a New York Times interview, Levy was asked about Snipes’ appearance, and revealed that unlike other stars who appeared in cameo roles, such as Channing Tatum and Henry Cavill, Snipes “wanted to hear more.” Levy continued:
“Ryan and he had not been in touch for many years, and that ‘Blade: Trinity’ movie they made together was a long time ago, so Wesley wanted to hear more about the tone and the intention. When Ryan called and explained that this was coming from a place of reverence and love and a desire to properly appreciate the legacy of ‘Blade,’ at that moment, Wesley was in.”
It’s a shame, then, that none of that appreciation for the legacy of “Blade” came across amid the relentless fan pandering and wisecracks. But hey, at least we got a couple of quips out of the whole thing.
There’s only one Blade, sort of
As Marvel Studios has undergone somewhat of a crisis in its post-“Avengers: Endgame” era, one of the biggest travesties has been the fact that the long-awaited MCU “Blade” movie still isn’t here. The seemingly cursed film has lost its director not once but twice. On top of that, there’s been a whole host of writers, including “True Detective” creator Nic PIzzolatto, who have lent their rewriting talents to the project. Meanwhile, Mahershala Ali, who is set to star, almost left the film due to the multiple changes it has undergone since first being announced in 2019.
So, when Wesley Snipes’ Blade says during his “Deadpool & Wolverine” cameo, “There’s only one Blade. There’s only ever going to be one Blade,” I’m inclined to believe him. Asked about this moment, Shawn Levy told the NYT:
“The rule on ‘Deadpool’ movies is only one character has self-awareness and fourth-wall access. When Wesley as Blade says it, it’s only Deadpool who can look into the camera and raise his eyebrows. We left the intent of that eyebrow wiggle somewhat ambiguous: It could mean, ‘You’re damn right there’s only ever going to be one Blade’ or it could mean, ‘Oh boy, who’s going to tell him?'”
But the real question here is, “Who’s going to tell him what?” The fate of the Marvel Studios “Blade” movie still hangs in the balance, and as far as most 90s kids go — ill-advised “Deadpool & Wolverine” cameos aside — Snipes is right that there’s only ever going to be one Blade.
