THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS ‘DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE’ SPOILERS
In a surprising twist, Wesley Snipes’ return as Blade in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ has broken two Guinness World Records, marking a significant milestone in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Guinness World Records announced that Snipes now holds the title for the Longest Career as a Live-Action Marvel Character. His return as the half-vampire “daywalker” in the recent ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ film comes 25 years and 240 days after his first appearance in 1998’s ‘Blade’. This record was previously anticipated to go to Hugh Jackman, Snipes’ co-star in the latest film, who first appeared as Wolverine in 2000’s ‘X-Men’.
Snipes’ unexpected cameo also set a new record for the Longest Gap Between Character Appearances in Marvel Films. He last played Blade in 2004’s ‘Blade: Trinity’, 19 years and 231 days before his recent appearance. This surpassed Alfred Molina’s 17-year gap between playing Doctor Octopus in ‘Spider-Man 2’ and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’.
Snipes’ Blade joins forces with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), along with Elektra (Jennifer Garner), X-23 (Dafne Keen), and Gambit (Channing Tatum) to battle Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) and her mutants. Chris Evans also made a notable cameo as Johnny Storm from ‘Fantastic Four’, not Captain America.
Reflecting on his return, Snipes expressed disbelief. “I didn’t think it was possible,” he said, crediting Ryan Reynolds for making it happen despite Marvel’s ongoing efforts to reboot Blade with Mahershala Ali. Snipes humorously referenced this in the film, hinting he might be the only Blade fans will see on the big screen for some time.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige addressed the reboot’s delays, emphasizing the importance of getting the film right rather than rushing it. The Blade reboot, facing several hurdles, is now set for a November 7, 2025 release.
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, released on July 26, has already shattered several box office records. It earned $205 million in its opening weekend, making it the eighth-best debut of all time and setting the record for the biggest R-rated opening weekend. It also surpassed ‘Inside Out 2’ for the highest-grossing domestic release of the year.