Some Fans Oppose Wesley Snipes’ Blade in the MCU Due to Alleged History of Abuse in Hollywood

Deadpool & Wolverine has reintroduced several iconic characters from older Marvel properties, including Evans’ Human Torch, Garner’s Elektra, and, most notably, Wesley Snipes’ Blade.

For those who might be less familiar, the original Blade trilogy holds significant importance in Marvel’s history. After Marvel filed for bankruptcy in 1996, Blade (1998) helped restore its reputation—not necessarily financially, but certainly in Hollywood and public perception. Blade was not only a financial hit but also set the standard for making lesser-known characters popular, leveraging an actor’s strengths, and crafting relatable superhero films.

Given this, Snipes’ portrayal of Blade is considered iconic, and many fans, including Ryan Reynolds, have taken to social media to express their wish for Blade to join the MCU, ideally with a “Logan-esque” farewell film.

However, the increased attention surrounding Deadpool & Wolverine has also brought to light some troubling aspects of Snipes’ past. Some fans are aware of his alleged history of abuse.

So, where do these allegations originate? Let’s start with Jennifer Lopez. Lopez collaborated with Snipes on the 1995 film Money Train. If you’re younger, you might not realize how prominent Snipes was at the time and the significant influence he held in the entertainment industry. Money Train predates Blade, and Lopez, who was just beginning her career, reportedly had a distressing experience working with Snipes.

In an interview with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the actress disclosed that Snipes essentially pressured her into performing a particular explicit scene.

Ugh! It was horrible. It was my first one… my first big role in a big budget movie. And I had to do this love scene. And I had never done a love scene before. I mean, I had done kissing, caressing, you know, but I had never done a sex scene before, so I was really nervous.

I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t think it was necessary. I wish now I had put up more of a fight. But when you first start working professionally, if you wanna work and you want your chance, you take whatever they give you. I didn’t think I had the right to say “No”, like, “No, I’m not doing this, and that’s it!”

I just tried to put it like, “We don’t really need this. It’s not that kind of film. This is an action movie. It’s not in the script.”

That’s the thing: It wasn’t even in the original script! The producers added it during filming. It wasn’t called for. It served no purpose in the story. You know what I mean? They just wanted a sex scene. Or rather the star did. Who was just a total jerk.

He was a big star at that time, with a lot of clout, and I was just starting out. It was my big break. And he really pressured me. He told me if the scene wasn’t hot enough, my part would end up on the cutting room floor. And that it would be bad for my career, like I’d get a reputation as difficult to work with.

So we did it, and it was horrible. We were both completely naked, with nothing between us except a sock on his boner! I was so naïve then. Now I would have pillows and covers and whatever to prevent contact, but I didn’t know any better.

So here’s this famous actor, basically humping my leg and pawing away at my breasts and kissing them. It was awful. I felt violated. I swore I’d never work with him again. He’s not done too well lately anyway… so maybe that’s karma!”

While this situation is indeed troubling and unacceptable for an emerging actor, Halle Berry’s experience is even more harrowing. Although Berry herself never explicitly confirmed these allegations, clues from her former spouse and the context suggest that Snipes may be involved in the abuse.

Berry and Snipes were briefly in a relationship after working together on Jungle Fever. The relationship quickly gained a reputation for being highly abusive, with reports indicating that Berry suffered significant physical harm, including a severe loss of hearing, due to the assaults.

“I devalued myself and thought I wasn’t worth it. I chose partners that mimicked my father. It was only when I was in an abusive relationship and blood squirted on the ceiling of my apartment and I lost 80% of my hearing in my ear that I realized, I have to break the cycle.”

Berry never publicly named her abuser, but her ex-husband David Justice once claimed that she had identified Wesley Snipes as the perpetrator. While many people speculated that Justice himself was the abuser, Berry confirmed several years ago that it was not Justice.

Snipes was reportedly difficult to work with during the production of the original Blade trilogy, with various accounts resurfacing about his challenging behavior towards co-stars like Ryan Reynolds and director David S. Goyer.

This could be one reason why the MCU has not revisited one of Marvel’s most successful and profitable franchises.

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