Wesley Snipes Reveals His Advice for New Blade Star Mahershala Ali

A new Marvel Cinematic Universe film focusing on Bladewas announced back in 2019, a reveal which took fans by surprise, and despite the following Wesley Snipes earned for his take on the character, the actor has confirmed that he has since spoken with new actor Mahershala Ali and advised him that he'll need to get into impressive shape to be able to handle the action-packed requirements of the role. Having starred in three Blade films prior to the birth of the MCU, some fans had hoped Snipes would reprise the role and revive him for a new generation, though Snipes notes he has no emotional connection to the character any longer.

"We spoke. The issue of him being cast wasn't between us, I'm cool with that," Snipes shared with Yahoo!'s Kevin Polowy. "I don't walk around as Blade, so I'm not attached to the character like that. I feel no emotional loss, zero, and I'm happy that he's being recast and will more than likely do a great job."

As far as the advice he offered the actor taking over the role, Snipes confirmed, "Make sure you're in shape, man. Make sure you're in shape. Try not to get hurt, that's a biggie. The demands of an action movie is you've gotta be an elite athlete. And being well-conditioned to survive and to avoid injury. And enjoy it while it lasts."

Not only were fans surprised to learn a new Blade project was being developed, but so was Snipes, as he had shared his enthusiasm about the part for years. Luckily, Snipes now seems to fully support Ali and encourages the upcoming opportunity.

Earlier this year, Ali opened up about finally getting to move forward as the character, whose debut came with a vocal cameo in the post-credits scene of Eternals.

"It was really cool, getting to do that," Ali shared with Empire. "It was scary. Because, you know, you're talking before you're filming it. I'm pretty particular about my choices, like most actors, and so having to make some choices -- even with a line, vocally -- this early on, it brought up some very real anxieties. And it made the job real. It's like, 'Okay, this is happening now,' you know, and that's exciting."

Stay tuned for details on the new Blade.

Are you looking forward to seeing more of the character? Let us know in the comments below!