Ever since Marvel first announced at San Diego Comic-Con that Mahershala Ali would be fronting the upcoming reboot of Blade, fans have been losing their minds. While practically everyone is excited about the prospect of the two-time Academy Award winner portraying the beloved superhero onscreen, others feel bad for the franchise’s original star. Wesley Snipes has long been pushing to play Eric Brooks one more time and it looked like he was getting close to actually doing so until Ali picked up the phone and changed everything.
While this is surely a bummer for the 56-year-old actor and his fans, there still might be some good news on the horizon. According to our sources, Marvel is currently discussing giving Snipes a role in the movie. Nothing is even close to official as of yet, but the studio is reportedly in talks to hand him either a cameo or a small villainous part. It doesn’t look like he’ll be playing the main villain or even any character with a lot of screen time, but at least he might still be a part of the project in some capacity.
Of course, Snipes starred in the enteric of the Blade trilogy back when he was one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. His career unfortunately took a sharp downturn since then though after he was arrested for misdemeanor failure to file U.S. federal income tax returns. The performer then spent three years behind bars in Pennsylvania and was never able to recapture the success he had before doing time.
Hopefully, Marvel will do the right thing and let Snipes land at least a minor part in Blade. After all, it’s the least they can do for the actor who endeared the titular character to the masses and helped put comic book movies on the map.