Deadpool & Wolverine: Did Marvel Just Tease a Blade Variant?

Deadpool & Wolverine recently released a new photo, which showed Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in the wasteland setting with a group of raiders. The background of the photo reveals as least one big Marvel movie cameo – but does it also reveal another? 

The new Deadpool 3 image gallery once again confirms that X-Men (2000) movie character Toad (Ray Park) is returning for Deadpool & Wolverine – something that leaked early in production through unofficial set photos.  However, standing to the right of Toad in the background of the photo is a secondary figure that has Marvel fans wondering if they aren’t looking at a Blade variant making a cameo. 

Clearly that’s not Wesley Snipes’ Blade in the photo; however, fans are speculating that it could be the Blade TV series version of the character, who was played by rapper/actor Kirk “Sticky Fingaz” Jones. Blade: The Series only lasted for one season (12 episodes) in 2006. It was created by Dark Knight Trilogy writer David S. Goyer, working with the likes of DC’s Geoff Johns and Spider-Man franchise executive producer Avi Arad. 

The plot of Blade: The Series follows Eric Brooks/Blade (Jones) and his partnership with a brother and sister who each help Blade infiltrate a radical vampire conclave led by Marcus van Sciver (Neil Jackson). The show aired on the now-defunct Spike TV, becoming the most-watched original programming premiere on the network (2.5 million viewers). However, that kind of viewership wasn’t enough to justify the hefty price tag for the action/horror show, leading to Blade: The Series never getting the pickup order for Season 2. 

Fans expect Deadpool & Wolverine to drop all kinds of Marvel movie and TV show cameos and definitely expect that a Deadpool movie is going to have some twisted fun with how and why those cameos happen. Deadpool 2 was a perfect example, gathering the case of the X-Men: First Class Trilogy together for a group cameo that lasted all of a second, as they closed the door on Deadpool before he noticed them. With that kind of history, Deadpool & Wolverine could blow through so many Marvel crossover and/or callback cameos that only last for the literal blink of an eye. This is the series that had Brad Pitt appear for a death scene that only lasted seconds… 

It’s hard to confirm from this single  Deadpool & Wolverine photo whether or not that’s Sticky Fingaz as TV Blade – or if it’s Blade at all. What we can say is that Deadpool 3 bringing in Blade from the TV universe would make a certain amount of sense, as the film’s “Wasteland” seems to be a meta-joke about all the Marvel TV/movie characters whose runs were cut short. At just a single season of television, Blade: The Series (and Sticky Fingaz) definitely qualify for the Deadpool & Wolverine Wasteland gang.

The only question is whether or not Marvel Studios will be in a joking mood about Blade, given continued rumors about major problems with the Marvel Cinematic Universe reboot of that film series. 

Deadpool & Wolverine will be released in theaters on July 26th.