Snipes, who originated the titular character in the 1998 film, pokes fun at the reboot delays after Yann Demange dropped out as director for the upcoming Marvel movie.
- Jun 17, 2024
AceShowbiz - As the "Blade" reboot hits another roadblock, fans aren't the only ones wondering if the movie will ever see the light of day. More than 25 years after starring in the original, Wesley Snipes took to social media this weekend to react to news that director Yann Demange has exited the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) entry, which is set to star Mahershala Ali as the titular human/vampire hybrid.
"Blade, lordylordylordy folks still lookin for the secret sauce, ridin snowmobiles in traffic, kinda rough," Snipes wrote Saturday on X (formerly Twitter). "Daywalkers make it look easy, don't they?" Snipes originated the onscreen role in 1998's "Blade", before returning for "Blade II" (2002) and "Blade: Trinity" (2004). Rapper Sticky Fingaz also played the character in a short-lived 2006 "Spike" series adaptation. Blade was first introduced in a 1973 issue of Marvel's "The Tomb of Dracula".
Snipes' post comes after sources told Deadline on Friday that Demange amicably departed the upcoming Marvel Studios reboot, which will likely result in further delays for the production and its November 7, 2025 premiere date.
Ali is still attached to play Blade after he first boarded the reboot in 2019, when he and Marvel boss Kevin Feige announced the movie at San Diego Comic-Con. Although his version of the character has not yet been seen in the MCU, he can be heard in a post-credits scene from 2021's "Eternals".
Snipes responded to the casting news at the time in a statement to ComicBook.com, calling Ali "a beautiful and talented artist whose expressions I look forward to experiencing for many years to come. Inshallah, we will someday work together."
Production on the reboot was originally planned for fall 2022 before director Bassam Tariq departed over scheduling conflicts. He remains on the film as an executive producer. "Blade" faced further delays last year amid the WGA strike. Eric Pearson ("Marvel's Agent Carter", "Thor: Ragnarok", "Black Widow") is writing the script.
Serving as Marvel's first cinematic franchise, the original "Blade" trilogy grossed more than $418 million globally. Planned for MCU's Phase Six, the reboot comes after Marvel Studios experienced its lowest-grossing title yet with "The Marvels" $47 million opening last year.
