Wesley Snipes is among the prominent names in the Hollywood industry. He has done notable work in movies like Major League, New Jack City, Jungle Fever, Demolition Man, and others. However, the actor rose to stardom with the role of comic book superhero Blade. The actor played the Marvel Comics character who becomes a vampire hunter to take revenge for his mother’s death.
Snipes earned immense fame and appreciation for his role as Blade. The film trilogy was a box office success, however, the lead actor wanted to play the role of another Marvel superhero.
Wesley Snipes felt connected to Black Panther
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor shared that he wished to play the character of Black Panther as he resonated with its personality. He also shared that he wishes to make his own Black Panther film.
Snipes said,
“I think Black Panther spoke to me because he was noble, and he was the antithesis of the stereotypes presented and portrayed about Africans, African history, and the great kingdoms of Africa. It had cultural significance and social significance. It was something that the black community and the white community hadn’t seen before.”
The Blade trilogy included Blade in 1998, Blade II in 2002, and Blade: Trinity in 2008. In 2006, Spike TV aired a 13-episode series that told the story after the events of Blade: Trinity. Actor Sticky Fingaz portrayed the role of Blade instead of Snipes.
Wesley Snipes wanted to make his own Black Panther movie
Wesley Snipes shared that he met with many prominent people in the film industry to make his film Black Panther. He also met the director John Singleton, but he wanted to make some changes in the character, with which Snipes was uncomfortable.
“John was like, ‘Nah! Hah! Hah! See, he’s got the spirit of the Black Panther, but he is trying to get his son to join the [civil rights activist] organization. And he and his son have a problem, and they have some strife because he is trying to be politically correct, and his son wants to be a knucklehead. I am loosely paraphrasing our conversation. But ultimately, John wanted to take the character and put him in the civil rights movement.”
Snipes shared that he couldn’t find the right people to make his Black Panther film. However, he used his learning for his character in Blade.
Snipes said,
“It was a natural progression and a readjustment. They both [Black Panther and Blade] had nobility. They both were fighters. So I thought, hey, we can’t do the King of Wakanda and the Vibranium and the hidden kingdom in Africa, let’s do a black vampire.”
Years later the rights of Blade were transferred to Marvel Studios. In October 2016, Underworld film’s actor Kate Beckinsale stated that a crossover film between the two franchises was in discussion as a sequel to Blade: Trinity. The film would have marked the return of Wesley Snipes as Blade, but Marvel Studios declined the offer. They produced Marvel’s first Black Panther film in 2018, featuring Chadwick Boseman.
Source- The Hollywood Reporter
