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Say yes to the wes

A comprehensive timeline of Wesley Snipes trying to make Blade 4 happen

Movie Feature

Matt Looker

5th September 2018

In 2012, the rights to Blade reverted back to Marvel, meaning that MCU head honcho Kevin Feige is able to finally achieve his original goal behind creating his cinematic universe in the first place: to greenlight and release Blade 4, starring a 56-year-old Wesley Snipes.

If you ask Wesley Snipes about the possibility of more Blade movies - as many people have over the past decade - he will tell you that he has been involved in some pretty serious discussions with Marvel to reprise his role, which is pretty exciting.

Except... Snipes seems to be the only one saying that these discussions are taking place. I'm not saying that he is exaggerating plans for his involvement in the MCU. Or that he constantly talks having a team in negotiation with Marvel like he has equal ownership and control over what happens to the character. But let's look at the FACTS.
8th December 2004

Blade: Trinity is released and is deemed a failure - certainly critically. We now know that Snipes has been accused of being extremely difficult - even violent - on set and, according to co-star Patton Oswalt, he spent most of his time staying in his trailer smoking marijuana. Somehow this still doesn't quite justify just how bad Blade: Trinity really is.
24th April 2008

Wesley Snipes is sentenced to three years in prison for lots of messy tax-dodging reasons. It is the one villainous move that Blade didn't see coming.
July 6th 2009

Stephen Dorff, who played the villain in the original Blade movie, tells the Sunday Mail that there will be a prequel trilogy built around his character Deacon Frost. Everyone comes to the conclusion that no one is more deluded in Hollywood than Stephen Dorff. Wesley Snipes hears this and says "Hold my protein shake".

Who doesn't want to know the back story of this guy spread over THREE MOVIES.


October 20th 2010

In an interview with Deadline, Snipes says:

"
"
Maybe we get around to doing another Blade, except, from what I’m reading, every other actor is talking about playing him, and nobody is talking to Wesley. How strange that they don’t come and talk to me about it.
How strange, indeed.
9th December 2010

Wesley Snipes begins his three-year jail sentence.
26th July 2014

Released from prison and now at Comic-Con, Snipes tells MTV News that he would be up for more Blade:

"
"
I’d be open to it. I think we’ve got some stones left unturned and there’s some latitude left for us to build on and I’d love to get back in the suit again and do some things I’ve learned how to do now that I didn’t know how to do then.
Presumably, he’s talking about how to file a tax return. He continues:

"
"
I think we’re better at making that kind of a film now. Some of the things we did in the early parts of the franchise were experimental and now they’ve become customary in a lot of the Avengers films and other comic book adaptations.
Shortly after taking credit for the whole of the MCU, Snipes says: “There have been rumours around that we may explore the opportunity, so give me one more shot!” Snipes there, explaining that there have been rumours, but somehow not being able to confirm if they are true.
5th September 2014

A new rumour surfaces that Snipes is set to return to the Blade franchise now that the rights have reverted back to Marvel. Marvel are too busy making billion-dollar smash hit blockbusters to confirm that they understand 'cause and effect'.

"But if the rights are back, then we can just make this thing happen already, right?"


9th July 2015

Back at Comic-Con and Snipes says this about Blade in an interview with IGN:

"
"
Marvel and I have decided to have further conversations. It's a topic of conversation. It's inescapable. They have their agenda, we have ours, and we're both moving at an accelerated pace to create magic. We'll see if it all matches up.

There's a strong possibility, but if not we have another project that's going to stand toe to toe with Blade.
No one is sure why anyone else's agenda might matter to Marvel, or who Snipes' "us" is. Marvel are too busy making billion-dollar smash hit blockbusters to confirm if they know either.

In hindsight, the other project that Snipes refers to might be 2017's The Recall, in which he plays The Hunter, a guy fighting off an alien invasion alongside the kid that played Walter White, Jr?
22nd September 2015

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Wesley Snipes says:

"
"
There's always a possibility, you know. It's in Marvel's hands. They're controlling the pace and the flow with that. Conversations have been good. They see the value in it. We see the value in it.

I'm still in shape enough and fit enough to handle the role. We'll see how it goes. I don't really know what's going to happen to it yet."
Marvel are too busy making billion-dollar smash hit blockbusters to confirm if conversations have been good. Or if they have taken place.
25th May 2016

Wesley Snipes takes to Twitter:






Marvel are too busy making billion-dollar smash hit blockbusters to like or retweet this.
9th October 2016

This time, an update from Kate Beckinsale, who is completely unconnected to the Blade franchise. While at New York Comic-Con to promote Underworld: Blood Wars, she is asked about the possibility of a crossover movie featuring Blade. Beckinsale replies: “No. We had that idea. No. They’re busy. They’re doing something with Blade.”

Definitive proof that a Blade film is on the way?
11th October 2016

FINALLY Marvel weighs in on the development of a Blade movie. Immediately following Beckinsale’s comments (but not, interestingly, any of Snipes’ previous comments), Kevin Feige gave an important update:

"
"
There is nothing imminent to my knowledge.
26th June 2017

Perhaps sensing that his previous comment was underwhelming for everyone dying to see Blade 4 - Wesley Snipes - Feige offered this tantalising update to JoBlo to really build momentum behind the idea:

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"
We think it would be cool. Someday [...] I think Blade is a legacy character now, and I think it would be fun to do something with him one day.
Exciting!
23rd December 2017

Possibly confused as to why he hasn’t received a call about it yet, Snipes took to Twitter again, alongside a pic of him literally begging:


30th January 2018

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter about a time when he almost played Black Panther over 20 years ago, Wesley Snipes gives an update on Blade 4 that sounds more like a plea to play just about anyone in any Marvel movie. Maybe any movie:

"
"
I am very much open to all of the possibilities. If Blade 4 comes along, that is a conversation we can have. And there are other characters in the Marvel universe that, if they want to invite me to play around with, I am with that too. I think the fans have a hunger for me to revision the Blade character, so that could limit where they could place me as another character in that universe.
"I'm available, Kevin. Just saying. Call me. Day or night. I'll be here... for you."


25th August 2018

Just last week, Wesley Snipes gave the ultimate interview to Vice about Blade to commemorate the first film’s 20-year anniversary. He says this about his ‘ongoing’ relationship with Marvel:

"
"
I don’t sit on the Marvel board at the moment, but I think the chairman and the people in the streets have given me the seal of approval and said, “Hey, man, you’ve done some great work. And the people that you worked with, those contributors left something that’s turned out to be iconic and a heck of a legacy and has gone on to help build other franchises and businesses.” It’s a good place to be and good thing to be a part of and it’s a good legacy to have contributed to.
Behold: the most optimistic "at the moment" you'll ever see. When asked about progress on Blade 4, Snipes says:

"
"
There are a lot of conversations going around right now and we’re very blessed to have the enthusiasm and interest in something coming from that world again. We’ve created two projects that fit perfectly into this world and, when people see them, I think they’re only going to have a problem with deciding which one they love the most.
(*shrugs*)

"
"
All the main execs [at Marvel] and my team, we’ve been discussing for the past two years. Everyone’s enthusiastic about it, everybody gets it. But they got a business to run and they gotta square the things that they gotta figure out before they can get to it, I guess. In the meantime, we got a business to run and our own slate of things to do so…

But the next time you see something in [the Blade universe], mark my words: what we did before is child’s play compared to what we can do now.
Riiiiight. It all sounds very amicable and productive. Until Snipes gets asked about rebooting the character and recasting the role:

"
"
There’s a lot of pieces that have to come together. I mean wow. Who’s that guy? And one that can overcome everybody’s preconceived idea of who Blade is supposed to be. Skill wise, there’s not a lot of guys out there that dance, that do the martial arts, that act well and can have that Blade flavor. Not a lot of chocolate guys out there. If they’re gonna go chocolate. If they’re gonna go vanilla… ehhhh, I don’t know. Non-traditional casting: I'm with it. I’ve been a beneficiary of it. I don’t know if it would be good for marketing but you never know. So, yeah, it’s a tough one. And they gotta be in shape and have some sex appeal. Fucking Blade has some sex appeal. Maybe you know somebody I don’t. I don’t know.
Marvel are too busy making billion-dollar smash hit blockbusters to comment.

More:  Wesley Snipes  Blade  Marvel  Vampires
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