2018's Black Panther set a precedent as it left a massive cultural impact and also showcased the character in a faithful and fun way to fans. However, before Chadwick Boseman took on the role of King T'Challa, there was another movie that had been in the works with John Singleton in the director's chair. Alongside Singleton would've also been Wesley Snipes in the titular role.
While this initial concept for Black Panther never worked out, however, it paved the way for Snipes to bring another classic black Marvel character to life in Blade. But what wasn't obvious upon its release in the late 1990s was how Snipes had changed the character of Blade forever. In fact, thanks to what he brought to the character, he managed to reinvigorate Blade and prepare him to better integrate into the larger Marvel Universe.
Why Did Wesley Snipes Choose Blade Over Black Panther?
According to Snipes in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, when Black Panther hit theaters, his intention for his version of the movie was to mirror what was shown in the 2018 movie. From the technologically advanced Wakanda to showing the beauty of Africa. However, potential director John Singleton had another idea for the movie to focus more on the civil rights movement and less on the spectacle and fun of the character. As a result, Snipes left the project and eventually found his way to Blade.
What drew Snipes to the role of Blade is that -- like similar to Black Panther -- it spoke to a deeper part of the actor, which ultimately informed the movie as a whole. Snipes would describe his reason for joining the movie on ComicBook.com as a way to appeal to his fellow martial artists and fans. However, because Snipes had so much fun on the project, it was easily translated on screen and, because of this, the movie was a massive success. But the critical impact of Blade wasn't the only way he impacted the character.
Wesley Snipes' Blade Completely Redefined the Marvel Hero
When Blade was first introduced in Marvel Comics, he wasn't the black leather-clad hero with a sword that he's shown as today. Instead, he wore a brown coat, wore green shades and had an over-the-shoulder strap of stakes he would use against Dracula and other Vampires. While he was still half-human and half-vampire, he wasn't even a Daywalker at the time of his debut. It wasn't until Snipes reinvented the character that the direction of Blade officially changed for the better. In turn, Blade also impacted comic book movies and paved the way for the X-Men, Spider-Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe to release.
While Blade had gone through his own design changes before the movie was released, it was Snipes' portrayal that turned Blade into a glasses-wearing, sword-wielding Daywalker. From his attitude to his efficiency in killing Vampires, Snipes showed that Blade could be more than a character that uses stakes to hunt monsters. Even now, Blade's character has more closely resembled the movie iteration more than any other version that came before, and it's only ever benefited him. Now, with a new movie coming from Marvel Studios, it's only a matter of time to see how Mahershala Ali could continue to improve on an already impressive character.