Deadpool & Wolverine has probably killed Mahershala Ali’s Blade movie

Blade is yet again the biggest topic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but this time it’s about whether or not Wesley Snipes deserves another shot at the role.

It’s not what the discussion is supposed to be about, though. It’s supposed to be focused on the MCU’s high-profile Blade reboot, starring Green Book’s Mahershala Ali as the titular vampire hunter.

But the return of longtime Blade actor Wesley Snipes for Deadpool & Wolverine has changed the tone. The reboot has been in development hell for years, and fans are now clamoring for a new sequel to the much-maligned Snipes sequel, Blade: Trinity.

The Blade reboot is starting to look like a very public disaster in the making. Five years after its announcement, has Deadpool & Wolverine finally killed the highly-anticipated reboot?

The MCU Blade is ice-skating uphill

We, as a collective industry, have been trying to cover the MCU’s Blade reboot in the same fashion since 2019. A drop of news leads to a discussion of the underlying problems with the film’s production. This is all enhanced with images cobbled together from pictures of Ali’s Alita: Battle Angel character Vector because he kinda dresses like Blade.

But it has to be that way because it’s all we have. The film is perhaps one of the most troubled productions of the last 20 years. Since Ali was announced to star, the film has gone through two directors and numerous writers.

As of this writing, the MCU’s Blade is reportedly on its fourth script. The only mainstays of those scripts have been Ali and MaXXXine star Mia Goth as Lillith. Beyond that, it’s constantly in flux. One script was reportedly in the present day; another in 1920s London.

Blade was reportedly one script’s fourth most-important lead (though that’s been heavily disputed). A 2024 report reveals Marvel also built a massive full-size train set for the movie, only for the sequence using it to be removed from later scripts.

The sad reality is that Blade has become an unfortunate reminder of the MCU’s lowest point. It doesn’t help when those closest to the production point it out themselves, either. Ali’s attorney Shelby Weiser made headlines when she threw shade on the film in a Hollywood Reporter profile, calling its stalled production “the craziest thing in my professional experience.”

Fans are back behind Wesley Snipes

The MCU’s struggles and the embarrassment of Blade have only made Deadpool & Wolverine’s success stand out more. Wesley Snipes made a shocking and triumphant return to the character, playing a version of Blade stranded in The Void.

It’s not clear if he’s the Blade we know from the original films or not, but fans and cast alike are celebrating the return. If you’re Disney, it has to feel pretty bad to see Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman celebrating the original star of the series you’re very publicly struggling to reboot.

But you can’t blame them for praising Blade. Snipes looks like he’s barely missed a step in Deadpool & Wolverine, and it’s hard to believe that almost 25 years have passed since the original Blade. It’s so good that fans seem to have forgotten why Snipes left the role in the first place.

The MCU may be at a low point, but Blade: Trinity was definitely lower. The film pits Blade and a team of monster hunters, The Nightstalkers, against a horde of vampires led by a resurrected Dracula.

Blade: Trinity is a notorious disaster. Snipes would reportedly only answer to Blade, and had regular arguments with director David S. Goyer and co-star Ryan Reynolds. He also would refuse to leave his trailer, resulting in a film that uses a lot of stand-ins and off-putting CGI.

The nightmare of making the film has become something of a legacy. In a 2019 interview, Patton Oswalt called the movie a D- but also said, “If you know what they went through to get that movie made, it is an A+.”

Snipes has since reportedly made amends, and the reunion between Snipes and Reynolds on the set of Deadpool & Wolverine seems to have been a joyous one. He’s also become a vocal supporter of the MCU’s Blade plans, shutting down fans who were calling for the reboot to be canceled.

“Only ever gonna be one Blade”

I can’t help but feel, though, that Marvel Studios has to be seriously considering that legacy sequel idea. From a purely pragmatic position, it has to look like the safest – and fastest – choice available right now.

Blade seemed poised to be a huge deal this year and beyond. A possessed Blade was the central figure of the Marvel Universe-altering event Blood Hunt (which recently ended with the MCU’s other next big thing, Doctor Doom, becoming the Sorcerer Supreme).

Beyond that, a new Blade video game was announced in 2023 from Deathloop developer Arkane Lyon. After the character was such a central figure in 2022’s Marvel’s Midnight Suns, it feels like the stars were aligning for Blade to become a huge pop culture character again, perhaps even bigger than he was in 1998.

But all anyone can think about was the MCU reboot. It’s an incredibly messy film right now, and it’s not even the fault of the people who are working on it. With the MCU’s focus on expansion post-Endgame, Blade was seemingly lost in the shuffle.

But then came Snipes. The surprising popularity of his return may mean it makes sense to give his character a proper send-off. It doesn’t even have to be in place of Ali’s reboot. Secret Wars is already rumored to be a soft reboot of sorts, so why not do a legacy Blade sequel now?

Marvel has a chance to give long-time fans one more exciting adventure with the Daywalker. Not only would it build on Deadpool & Wolverine’s success, it would offer closure to a character who was let down by his own franchise, while also creating an opportunity for an even bigger Blade reboot post-Secret Wars.

I remain excited for what the MCU can do with Blade. Regardless of how the original film trilogy went, you cannot deny that the first movie is cool as hell, and I’m eager to see Ali bring his powerhouse talent to an updated take on the character.

But I also can’t deny that Snipes looked like he had been frozen in time Demolition Man-style. I have tried my very best to forget the entire franchise after Blade: Trinity, but I would be seated day one for a Blade sequel with the same care and attention to detail as Logan.

Disney and Marvel Studios are in an impossible position with Blade. Both seem almost afraid to even mention it at this point, as it was left out of a memo issued by Disney CEO Bob Iger, leading many to believe it’s canceled.

Is it possible that Deadpool & Wolverine’s success killed the Blade reboot? A month ago, I’d have said no, but I can’t deny that literally “bigger than Jesus” box office result – or the reignited fan interest in Wesley Snipes as Blade.

Blade, starring Mahershala Ali and Mia Goth, is scheduled for a November 2025 release as of this writing. In the meantime, you can read about the Deadpool movie Shawn Levy wants to make next or the Deadpool cover that may become the most valuable comic book art ever.

We’ve also got the best MCU movies according to science and our ranking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s movies.