Wesley Snipes and Ryan Reynolds speak onstage during “Marvel Studios: The Ultimate Deadpool & Wolverine Celebration Of Life” panel during 2024 Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 25, 2024, in San Diego, California.
| Photo Credit: MATT WINKELMEYER
If you haven’t seen the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster, Deadpool & Wolverine, read ahead with caution as it’s impossible to avoid some spoilers.
Actor Wesley Snipes, who made an unexpected cameo appearance as Blade in Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, has bagged two Guinness World Records to his name. The actor now holds the record for the longest career as a live-action Marvel character, returning 25 years and 340 days after his initial portrayal in 1998’s Blade, according to Guinness World Records. This means that Snipes has surpassed Hugh Jackman, who first appeared as Wolverine 24 years ago in 2000’s X-Men.
Additionally, the cameo also bagged Snipes the record for the longest gap between character appearances in Marvel films; his 19-year and 231-day hiatus as Blade since 2004’s Blade: Trinity exceeds that of Alfred Molina’s 17-year gap between playing Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
Blade was amongst the avalanche of superhero cameos that enthralled audiences in Deadpool and Wolverine’s first appearances in the MCU. The film saw Blade and the titular characters team up alongside Elektra (Jennifer Garner; reprising role from the 2003 and 2005 films), X-23 (Dafne Keen; reprising her role from Logan), and Gambit (Channing Tatum; making dreams come true after his unrealised project). Fans were also thrilled to see Chris Evans reprise his role — not as Captain America but as Johnny Storm from the Fantastic Four films.
Released on July 26, Deadpool & Wolverine has already broken multiple records at the box office. The film earned $211 million in its first weekend in North American theatres and now boasts the sixth-highest opening weekend of all time. It shattered the opening record for R-rated films previously held by the first Deadpool ($132 million). The Shawn Levy-directed film has also become the highest-grossing debut of 2024, surpassing Disney’s Inside Out 2.
Meanwhile, Marvel Studios has been struggling to launch its Blade revival film starring Mahershala Ali. The film on the half-vampire has undergone several delays in what’s being called a ‘development hell’. Notably, Snipes’ Blade humorously addressed the delays during his brief appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine, stating that he will remain the one and only Blade.
