Wesley Snipes Was Advised Against Taking the Role That Paved the Way for the Biggest Movie Franchise of All Time

Sometimes, an actor becomes so connected to a role that it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the part. For many, Wesley Snipes is the ultimate embodiment of the half-vampire, half-human hero, Blade. His portrayal in the 1998 film and its sequels left a lasting mark on the superhero genre. The success of Blade helped set the stage for the wave of comic book movies that would dominate the box office in the years to follow.

Given the film’s impact and Snipes’ iconic performance, it may be surprising to learn that he was initially counseled to turn down the opportunity. The people closest to him, his own representatives, strongly advised against him taking on the character. At the time, comic book adaptations were not the guaranteed blockbusters they are today, and the project was seen as a significant risk for a rising star.

Snipes recently revealed the resistance he faced from his own team. “Most of the representation I had at the time were very against me doing the Blade role,” he explained. The concern was that the part was not a good fit for the path his career was supposed to be on.

His advisors saw him in a different light, as a “classical actor, a professional trained actor,” and they believed the role of a vampire hunter “was beneath the skillset.” Their vision for him was different: “My trajectory was to do dramatic types of roles and work my way toward getting awards.”

However, Snipes had a different perspective. He was drawn to the unique and groundbreaking nature of the character. The originality of the concept was a major selling point for him. “[But] I’d never seen a Black vampire that did karate before,” Snipes stated. This fresh take on the vampire genre was something he felt had to be brought to the screen.

The actor recalled the excitement and conviction he felt about the project. He knew it was an opportunity to create something new and memorable for audiences. “[We] had never seen a cool, Shaft-like vampire that did karate at the same time,” Snipes said.

“We’ve got to do this movie.” Trusting his own instincts over the advice he was given, he took the role and made it his own, creating a cinematic hero that continues to resonate with fans more than two decades later.

What do you think of ‘Blade’? Let us know in the comments.