Wesley Snipes Steals Marvel Record from Hugh Jackman
The Wolverine star's quarter-century reign as Marvel's longest-serving actor ended when Blade returned in the latest superhero blockbuster, sparking playful rivalry between the two veterans.
Hugh Jackman spent 25 years building his reputation as Wolverine. After what seemed like a farewell performance in 2019's Logan, he returned for one more round. But his comeback in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine brought an unexpected consequence that left him wishing he'd made different casting choices.
The MCU launched in 2008 with fresh faces taking on beloved comic book characters. Many had been portrayed before, but Marvel wanted new blood. As multiverse storylines took center stage, the studio found opportunities to resurrect forgotten iterations of classic heroes. Spider-Man: No Way Home reunited audiences with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, plus their respective villains. Deadpool & Wolverine pushed further, bringing back Fox veterans Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Dafne Keene as X-23, and Wesley Snipes reprising his role as Blade.
Record-Breaking Return
Snipes' comeback as the Daywalker cost Jackman his Guinness World Record as Marvel's longest-serving star. Snipes first appeared as Blade in 1998, giving him a longer tenure than Jackman's Wolverine debut. The Australian actor took the news with characteristic humor during a recent interview:
"If I had known, I would have banned him [from Deadpool & Wolverine]. Now it's just a competition of who's going to live longer. Actually, I'll put my money on Wesley."
The record has changed hands multiple times recently. Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe claimed the title after Spider-Man: No Way Home. Patrick Stewart briefly held it following his Charles Xavier appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Jackman thought he'd reclaimed it with his Deadpool & Wolverine return, until Snipes showed up.
Blade's Uncertain Future
Marvel Studios has struggled for six years trying to reboot Blade. Mahershala Ali has waited patiently as his solo film cycled through multiple directors and writers. Nobody could crack a workable script for the vampire hunter's return. Snipes' appearance made things more complicated when he delivered the line: "There is only one Blade, and there will only ever be one Blade." The writers knew exactly what they were doing.
Recent reports suggest Marvel has abandoned Blade's standalone movie entirely. Instead, the character might debut in a Midnight Suns film featuring supernatural heroes like Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, and Doctor Strange. Sources claim Snipes has been offered another chance to play Blade in Avengers: Secret Wars, though confirmation won't come until the multiverse finale arrives in December 2027.