Wesley Snipes made a comeback as Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine, a cameo that has been praised by fans. However, Hugh Jackman may have some regrets about the appearance of the Daywalker.
In 1998, Snipes first appeared as Marvel’s vampire hunter and later reprised the role in two sequels: Blade II in 2002 and Blade: Trinity in 2004, where he starred alongside Ryan Reynolds. Despite initial plans for a prequel trilogy and a crossover with Underworld, these projects ultimately fell through.
Despite more than 25 years passing, he still holds the title of being the sole big-screen portrayal of Blade (Kirk Jones briefly took on the role in a TV series in 2006, which has since been largely forgotten). In 2019, the MCU chose Mahershala Ali to take on the role, but his film has faced numerous rewrites and director changes, leaving it trapped in development limbo.
Therefore, when Deadpool & Wolverine required a Blade, they reached out to Snipes, unknowingly surpassing one of Jackman’s greatest achievements.
Wesley Snipes Holds Record for Longest Career as a Live-Action Marvel Character
After making a cameo appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine, Snipes has held the role of Blade for 25 years and 340 days, earning him the title of the longest-running star in a single Marvel role.
In 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, he has successfully taken over the role of Wolverine from Hugh Jackman, who originally portrayed the character in 2000’s X-Men. His biggest rival for the role was Patrick Stewart, who also made his debut as Professor X in 2000 and returned to reprise his role.
Unfortunately, Jackman will have to make a comeback in order to regain the record. “What?! Seriously? Will I also receive a certificate? Thank you [Guinness World Records], I am a huge fan,”Snipes stated on X/Twitter.
Whuuuut?! 👀 Really? Do I get a certificate too? Lordy Lordy Lordy…Thank you @GWR, I’m your fan! https://t.co/D1JWbDDuQF
— Wesley Snipes (@wesleysnipes) August 2, 2024
Snipes’ portrayal also achieved another milestone: the longest time between appearances as a character in Marvel movies, with his last portrayal as Blade occurring 19 years and 231 days ago. This surpassed Alfred Molina’s record of a 17-year gap between Spider-Man 2 in 2004 and his appearance in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.
In an interview with Variety, he confessed that he initially believed the cameo would not be achievable. He had doubts about our ability to successfully execute it.
“I was surprised to find out that Marvel and Disney were on board with the project, especially since Mahershala Ali was already cast for the next installment,”he explained.
“Initially, I couldn’t understand the significance, but receiving a surprise call from Ryan Reynolds after two decades made me curious. I decided to answer and find out what he wanted. After hearing his idea, the green light was given and they were on board. I was given the opportunity to join and now we’re here.”
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