I’m convinced Wesley Snipes will play Blade again before Mahershala Ali joins the MCU

I believe there’s a good chance we’ll see Wesley Snipes play Blade again before Mahershala Ali’s Marvel Cinematic Universe film finally arrives. Snipes is one of the main actors responsible for live-action superhero movies taking off the way they did, leading to the creation of the MCU. From 1998 to 2004, Snipes starred in the Blade film trilogy, making the Daywalker known to non-comic book readers. The vampire hunter quickly became a popular character, and although Snipes’ last Blade film, 2004, Blade: Trinityhad his fair share of problems, fans continued to call for his return.

This has finally happened in the MCU of all places, with Snipes playing Blade in Deadpool and Wolverine. I enjoyed the actor’s return as his iconic Marvel character and I’m convinced we haven’t seen the last of Snipes as Blade. In fact, I think there’s a good chance Mahershala Ali’s Blade movie won’t be released during the Multiverse Saga. This way, Snipes may remain the MCU’s only Blade until this saga is over, passing the torch to Ali when the next chapter of the franchise begins in a few years.

Blade’s latest delay isn’t surprising

Mahershala Ali’s Blade Debut Received Bad News

In some ways, Ali’s Blade has already appeared in the MCU, as the character had a cameo voice Eternals‘post-credits scene. However, I don’t consider this the actor’s debut as Blade, as Ali has yet to formally appear as a Marvel character on screen. Well, it looks like that could still be a long time coming. Marvel Studios delayed Blade indefinitely, taking the film out of the November 2025 time slot and the MCU release schedule as a whole. While the update is certainly negative, I can’t say it was the least bit surprising.

BladeProduction problems have been very public for some time. I didn’t have faith in it Blade would be ready for release in November 2025. Mahershala Ali’s MCU debut has been in the works for five years, with the actor having been announced as MCU’s Blade at 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. Since then, it appears that no major progress has been made with the film. Delays caused by creative reasons, the pandemic and Hollywood strikes in 2023 continued to impact Blade. The film was pushed back from 2023 to 2024 to 2025 before finally being removed from the release schedule.

Blade Several writers have attempted the film’s script over the years. Accounts of the film’s story range from Blade taking care of his daughter, to the film being set in the 1920s, to Kit Harington’s Black Knight playing a role in the film, and more. BladeThe film’s original director, Bassam Tariq, left the project in 2022, with replacement director Yann Demange also opting to leave the Blade film in June of this year. With so many problems over the years and no director hired, I was hoping Blade would be delayed, so Marvel’s announcement made sense.

I want more of Wesley Snipes’ blade after Deadpool and Wolverine

The Marvel actor showed he still has what it takes

Although Mahershala Ali’s Blade has yet to premiere, the MCU has already brought a version of the Daywalker to the big screen. I was shocked to see Wesley Snipes return as Blade in Deadpool and Wolverine. By all accounts, Snipes and Ryan Reynolds clashed on the set of Blade: TrinitySo seeing the two together again, now as Blade and Deadpool, was an exciting surprise. I thought Snipes didn’t miss a beat in the role. After 20 years, the actor brought back the same cool, scary, and sarcastic Blade that fans came to love.

Deadpool and Wolverine made the right choice by including Snipes’ Blade as a member of Void’s Resistance. Each character in the group had a role to play, with Blade being the only one from his own successful film series. With all the issues surrounding Ali’s Blade, many fans have been asking since Deadpool and Wolverine was released for Marvel will keep Snipes as the MCU’s Blade. The R-rated film still presented the perfect reference for Bladecomplicated situation, with Snipes’ Daywalker saying, “There was only one Blade. There will only be one blade.”

The MCU has created some perfect opportunities for Wesley Snipes’ return as Blade

Deadpool and Wolverine’s Resistance Could Return Soon

Despite being 62 years old, Snipes appeared in Deadpool and Wolverine what he could easily return as Blade in more MCU projects. Ryan Reynolds talked about a Logan-as a farewell film for Snipes’ Blade. While I would love to see this happen, with the iconic Daywalker stepping out as the lead in a film with R-rated glory, I’m convinced we haven’t seen the last of him in the MCU. Deadpool and Wolverine ended with Dafne Keen’s X-23 having dinner with Deadpool and Wolverine’s friends. The return of Channing Tatum’s Gambit was later teased in a deleted scene.

That leaves only Jennifer Garner’s Elektra and Wesley Snipes’ Blade with no teases to return. However, with the likely return of X-23 and Gambit in future MCU projects, I can see an easy way to get the entire Resistance back into play. Avengers: Secret Wars is set to be the end of the Multiverse Saga. If Snipes doesn’t return as Blade before the movie, then I feel like there’s no way the MCU won’t use him in Secret Wars. The film is expected to feature multiple characters from across the multiverse, and the Resistance’s fan-favorite status makes the team’s return very likely.

I think Blade’s delay could make Mahershala Ali skip the multiverse saga

The MCU already has “One Blade” for the Multiverse saga

I think if Marvel completely abandoned Ali’s Blade movie, they would have done it already. As such, despite Blade being removed from the MCU release schedule, I’m still confident the film will eventually get made. However, this seems increasingly likely to happen after the Multiverse Saga ends. Marvel still has two slots for unnamed MCU films in 2026on February 13th and November 6th. If Blade should be moved to one of them, I believe Marvel Studios would have announced this decision when the delay was made public.

As it is, it seems Blade could be postponed to 2027, after Avengers: Secret Warsas there are untitled Marvel Studios projects slated for July and November, or 2028, with Marvel recently adding three MCU film slots. If that were to happen, Wesley Snipes would serve as the MCU’s only Blade during the Multiverse Saga. I’m more than fine with this, as a multiverse variant of Blade that appears in the main films fits the saga more than a full version. Blade film that would feel disconnected from the larger Multiverse saga.

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