Marvel recently dropped a bombshell when it announced that the Blade franchise is getting a reboot, and that Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali is taking the reins as the new Eric Brooks. In the few days following that news, it seemed everyone had something to say about the reboot. There were plenty of tweets expressing excitement over Ali’s casting, and then there were those that weren’t so thrilled – including one promise to “riot” if original Blade actor Wesley Snipes wasn’t involved with the new movie.
And now, Snipes has finally broken his silence on the Blade reboot and Ali stepping into his shoes. It turns out, Snipes is totally cool with the whole thing, and thinks you should be too.
ComicBook.com obtained a statement from Snipes in which he affirms that there are no hard feelings toward Ali and he’s not disappointed over Marvel choosing to reboot Blade without him – just complete understanding.
In his statement, Snipes even used two Arabic phrases – “salaam,” meaning “peace,” and “inshallah,” meaning “if God wills”. This is extra special, since Ali is Muslim and Snipes practiced Islam from 1978 to 1988, according to The Hollowverse. Snipes said, in part,
“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. Honor and respect to the grandmaster Stan [Lee]. 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.”
It’s always tricky business when a studio decides to reimagine a property with a brand-new face at the forefront – and when it comes to Blade, a movie that changed the superhero genre forever and has continued to influence comic book adaptations to this day, there was an even bigger risk for vicious attacks from those opposed to the entire idea. Keep watching the video to see how Wesley Snipes sounds off on the latest Blade news!
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