In a heartfelt Instagram post celebrating the legacy of Wesley Snipes, Ryan Reynolds has publicly called for more of the iconic vampire hunter Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. On Wednesday, Reynolds shared a carousel of photos featuring Snipes, accompanied by a caption that reads, “The reaction when [Wesley Snipes] enters the movie is the most intense thing I’ve heard in a theater. People screaming with uninhibited joy and love is also the sound of a legacy.”
Wesley Snipes first brought Blade, the daywalking human-vampire hybrid, to life in 1998, a time before Marvel had begun its dominance over the entertainment industry. Snipes’ portrayal in the Blade trilogy was groundbreaking and influential, paving the way for future Marvel cinematic ventures. In his recent return, Snipes reprises his role in a celebrated supporting part in Deadpool & Wolverine, where he joins Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in battling the villainous Cassandra Nova, played by Emma Corrin.
Reynolds concluded his Instagram post with a call for a “more Blade please,” adding a hashtag #DayWalker and referencing a “Logan-style send off,” a nod to the critically acclaimed 2017 film that featured an aging Wolverine in a poignant finale.
Reynolds’ admiration for Snipes and Blade extends beyond their latest collaboration. Prior to his own breakout role as Deadpool in 2016, Reynolds appeared as Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, a character from the same Marvel comics universe that inspired Blade. Reynolds acknowledges that without Snipes and the original Blade, the entry of Deadpool & Wolverine into the Marvel Cinematic Universe might not have been possible.
The 1998 Blade film was not Marvel’s first foray into superhero cinema, following earlier projects like Fantastic Four (1994) and The Punisher (1989). However, Blade was the first Marvel film to receive widespread critical acclaim and hinted at the potential for an expansive cinematic universe that would later become the MCU.
In addition to Snipes, Deadpool & Wolverine features other notable Marvel alumni, including Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Dafne Keen as Laura, Wolverine’s daughter, and Channing Tatum as Gambit—a role Tatum was originally set to play in a shelved Fox project.
Reynolds’ post and call for more Blade highlight the enduring impact of Snipes’ portrayal and the continuing evolution of Marvel’s cinematic storytelling. Fans of both the original Blade films and the Marvel universe can look forward to seeing how the legacy of the Daywalker continues to influence future projects.
