The arrival of Blade in the MCU is one of those things that seems to have been talked about for a very long time. Now, Mahershala Ali’s debut as the vampire hunter is currently filming, with an eye potentially on a late 2023 premiere. However, there are many who would love to see former Blade star Wesley Snipes have some kind of appearance in the debut of Marvel’s new iteration of the character. Whether that happens or not, Snipes has already given his blessing to Ali, and he has plenty of fond memories of his past life as Blade.
While there are some actors that just take on roles for the paycheck, Snipes had a number of specific reasons for wanting to play Blade. He wanted to appeal to a certain audience but was surprised to find that being part of a Marvel superhero movie opened doors to places he really didn’t expect. Speaking to ComicBookMovie.com, Snipes explained:
"It’s amazing. In the beginning, my motivation for doing the first Blade project was to have fun and to do something I knew my homeboys and homegirls would absolutely love. The ones from the martial arts world. The ones from the Shaft world, and the ones who love Kung-fu and all that [Laughs]. We knew that would be attractive to that niche audience, but I had no idea it would have broader appeal. However, it was a good lesson. It taught us what was possible."
Blade’s MCU Debut Will Not Be R-Rated
When it was first announced that Blade would be joining the MCU, fans of the darker side of Marvel Comics hated the idea that the character was about to be “dumbed down” to fit into Disney’s Marvel world. However, Wesley Snipes has no issues with a PG-13 Blade and previously explained that he doesn’t see any reason why the character has to be R-rated. He said:
"I think those kind of stories lend themselves to a wide range of dialogue and situations. Both adult and young adult. I don't know, it seems like the R-rating and PG-13 base is sliding now because it seems that now the 13-year-olds can speak better words than the adults can. As long as it's true and organic to the subject matter, the plot, and the world that's created. If there's consistency, I think it's fine [to be PG-13]."
While Blade has effectively made his debut, as an off-screen voice warning Dane Whitman of the dangers of the Ebony Blade in the post-credit scene of Eternals, it is not yet known where he will make his first physical appearance. There have been rumors that Blade could make an appearance in the very secretive Werewolf By Night project, but confirming anything about that Disney+ special is like pinning down mist. For now, everyone is just waiting for news from Kevin Feige and his team about what is coming to the MCU in the next few years, and hopefully, we will find that out in the next couple of months.