As excited as it was for fans to hear that Moonlight (and Luke Cage) actor Mahershala Ali had been cast in Marvel‘s upcoming Blade reboot, many were concerned that Wesley Snipes had been left out. After all, for all the positivity that Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films (minus the third one) get for igniting the current comic book movie craze, many feel that Snipe’s turn as the half-human/half-vampire assassin lit the fuse even sooner. Also, the first Blade film is just ridiculously fun. Thankfully, it seems Snipes doesn’t feel ignored.
On the contrary, as the 65-year-old actor explained in a statement to Comic Book, he’s excited to see what the “beautiful and talented” Ali ends up doing with the role:
“To all the DAYWALKERS losing their minds right now, chillaaxx. Although the news comes as a surprise, it’s ALL GOOD. Such is the ‘business’ of ‘entertainment!’ Much peace to the MCU crew – always a fan,” Snipes says. “Honor and respect to the grandmaster Stan. Congratulations and Salaam to Mahershala Ali, a beautiful and talented artist whose expressions I look forward to experiencing for many years to come. Inshallah, we will someday work together. Most importantly to my loyal fans, the incredible outpouring of love is overwhelming. I am grateful for the never-ending support. So, ‘nah fret nah worry, it’s not de end of de story.’ Welcome to the Daywalker Klique.”
Regardless, audiences won’t get the chance to see Ali’s Blade in action until 2022 or later, when Marvel’s plans for Phase Five finally kick into gear. But that’s okay… we’ll always have the hospital scene:
(Via Comic Book)