The stakes have never been higher for Marvel Studios, and Deadpool & Wolverine knows it. The film may be the franchise’s chance to regain a bit of goodwill, either through some self-effacing humor or a more concrete path to Avengers: Secret Wars. The film ticks each of those boxes in its own way, of course, calling on the might of Fox’s Marvel universe (the good, bad, and everything in between) for an irreverent trip down memory lane.
This is still a Deadpool movie, though, so don’t expect many softballs. Like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, some of Deadpool & Wolverine’s best references are also major gags at Marvel’s expense. It’s not afraid to get meta with its cameos, or to skewer any of the franchise’s worst practices in the process. That’s especially apparent with the return of a fan favorite character, one that Marvel is actually in the painstaking process of rebooting.
Warning: Major spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine ahead!
Wesley Snipes’ Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine
In Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine’s (Hugh Jackman) quest to save the multiverse, our unlikely duo cross paths with a handful of familiar characters. Some — like Dafne Keen’s Wolverine and Jennifer Garner’s Elektra — fans already knew about. But few could have expected that they’d be in a supergroup of sorts with Blade (Wesley Snipes) and Gambit (played by Channing Tatum, naturally). There’s a lot to unpack here, but right now, let’s focus on the Daywalker.
In one fell swoop, Deadpool & Wolverine delivers its own take on Doctor Strange’s Illuminati scene. It’s a wink to Marvel’s forgotten past, as well as another nod to Reynolds’ checkered past in comic book films — he appeared in Blade: Trinity alongside Snipes. In this context, it’s also bittersweet to see the OG Blade return while Marvel Studios is struggling to reboot the anti-hero with a promised new movie starring Mahershala Ali... and the Deadpool team doesn’t waste an opportunity to point that out.
“There’s only been one Blade,” Snipes quips in Deadpool & Wolverine, “There will only ever be one Blade.”
That may not be true for much longer — at least if Marvel can actually figure out what to do with the reboot. But it’s interesting that Snipes’ comments made it to the final cut, especially given all the tumult behind the scenes.
Wesley Snipes vs. Marvel
Snipes has always been protective over Blade, and for good reason. The actor lobbied hard to bring the character to the big screen in the ‘90s, and though he did offer his support to Ali after his casting, he also hasn’t been shy with his criticism of late.
The Blade reboot has hit more than a few snags on the road to production, and its most recent scandal — the departure of its second director, Yann Demange — spurred Snipes to break his silence.
“Folks still lookin for the secret sauce, ridin snowmobiles in traffic, kinda rough,” the actor wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Daywalkers make it look easy, don’t they?”
Snipes’ cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine certainly reminds us of how effortless his performance always was. It’s frustrating to watch Marvel overthink a concept that couldn’t be simpler, especially with the blueprint standing right in front of them. That the studio would greenlight a jab at their most troubled project is also a surprise, but that’s the nature of the Deadpool brand: nothing is off-limits.
