The 'True Story' star told ET that he fully endorses Ali as the new lead but he's interested in seeing 'the people around him.'
Wesley Snipes is looking forward to seeing what Marvel will do with his legacy. Back in the '90s, Snipes starred as the half-human/half-vampire Daywalker in a trilogy of Blade movies, and now, more than 20 years later, Blade is being rebooted by Marvel Studios with Mahershala Ali taking up the mantle.
"I'm one thousand percent supportive of it. I think it's great. Go for it, my man," Snipes told ET in February of Ali's casting, adding that he's excited to see what Ali will do with the character.
Nine months later, he's echoing the sentiment.
"People are so fascinated with the Blade character and the world and what I am gonna do and if [Ali] will do well. I think he will do well," the 59-year-old actor told ET's Lauren Zima, revealing that he spoke with Ali "months ago."
"My question is not with him, it’s the people around him. It takes something great and very special to make an iconic film. And you don't even know if it's gonna be iconic until it's done. The people decide it," he added.
Despite Marvel announcing the film back in July 2019, little is known about the upcoming iteration except that Watchmen writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour is penning the script, with Bassam Tariq, director of Mogul Mowgli, set to direct. According to Variety, Delory Lindo joined the cast earlier this month.
When asked what he'd like to see Marvel do with the Blade story, Snipes said he's more interested in how the audience reacts to the film. "I want the same reaction we got with the versions we did," he answered. "Audiences in the theater were yelling and clapping. I'm looking for that."
In the meantime, fans of Snipes can see the actor tackle another dark story, albeit without bloodsuckers. The Coming 2 America actor opened up to ET about his upcoming Netflix series, True Story.
The seven-part limited series stars Snipes and Kevin Hart as two brothers facing an intense situation when a tour stop in Kid's (Hart) hometown of Philadelphia becomes a matter of life and death and the consequences of a lost evening with his wayward older brother (Snipes) threaten to destroy everything he's built.
While Snipes character will do just about anything for the fame that fuels his drive, the actor said he probably wouldn't go as far in real life.
"I wouldn’t go as far as this character goes, I’m not that dude. But I probably can’t say how far," he laughed. "I went so far as to put on a dress and clown makeup in a Broadway play. I grew up in the Bronx so wasn't a lot of the guys going to the theater to see me do this thing right here. How far will I go? Pretty far, within limits!"
When it comes to working such a dramatic role, Snipes revealed that he initially told production that they would have to look elsewhere if they wanted to bring him in as a "sidekick."
"You know, when I come to do drama, I'm coming to bring the heat with it. So and I told all of them, 'Look, you might not wanna cast me in this 'cause I don't play when it comes to dramatic roles. I take it extremely seriously and if you're looking for me just to be a sidekick in this you might want somebody else. I'm coming to bring the heat,'" he recalled. "[Hart] said, 'Hey, that's what I want, that's why we're calling you.'"
The actor said that despite Hart's notoriety for comedy, the 42-year-old actor handled the dark tones of the series well. "I can't say it's unusual because I've seen a lot of young performers approach or have an appetite for dramatic roles and want to be dramatic actors. So I'm kinda familiar with that, but it was nice to see him take the leap and really put in all the effort and his heart into it."
True Story premieres globally on Netflix on Nov. 24.
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