Deadpool & Wolverine's 'Only One Blade' Joke Originally Referenced Mahershala Ali

Remember when Warner Bros. announced Michael Keaton was coming back as Batman for "The Flash?" I do, because I wrote a whole article about why the whole thing was very concerning — mainly due to the fact that Keaton's Batman was so of a piece with Tim Burton's expressionist vision for Gotham that it seemed very odd to think of this character uprooted and tossed into the midst of a modern action comedy blockbuster. Still, I hoped that director Andy Muschietti would do his best to maintain the standard set by Keaton and Burton 30 years prior. Then, "The Flash" debuted and not only became a box office flop of super-heroic proportions, but also confirmed my worst fears about Keaton's return.

Now, Marvel Studios has done the same thing to Blade. Long before Ryan Reynolds rescued the Marvel Cinematic Universe from complete collapse, Wesley Snipes gave Marvel its first modest on-screen hit with 1998's "Blade." Directed by Stephen Norrington, the movie presented a cohesive and tactile world in which Snipes' daywalker could exude effortless '90s cool while dispatching entire hordes of vamps. Now, Snipes' vampire hunter finds himself in the midst of the box office juggernaut that is "Deadpool & Wolverine," and once again the character is given short shrift in a movie that couldn't be further from the dark and gritty world established by Norrington. 

Blade's appearance is ostensibly designed to give the character a fitting send-off ahead of the MCU's "Blade" reboot arriving. Unfortunately, that project has thus far been about as troubled as any Hollywood production can get — which probably has something to do with why the "Deadpool & Wolverine" joke about Snipes being the one and only Blade was changed during the editing process.

After 1998's "Blade," Wesley Snipes starred as the daywalker in sequels "Blade II" and "Blade: Trinity," the latter of which saw him join forces with fellow vampire hunters Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel) and Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds). Now, 20 years after "Blade: Trinity" debuted, Snipes is back in the shades and black leather for "Deadpool & Wolverine," appearing alongside Reynolds following what was reportedly a tumultuous collaboration on "Trinity."

Perhaps unsurprisingly Snipes took some convincing to return for "Deadpool & Wolverine," but was seemingly persuaded by Reynolds, who promised to give Blade a suitable farewell as part of the movie. Unfortunately, as I alluded to earlier, none of that actually came to fruition. But we did at least get to see Blade deliver a reprise of his "always skating uphill" one-liner from the inaugural movie. That and Snipes broke a Marvel record with his "Deadpool & Wolverine" cameo.

Of course, the "skating uphill" line was far from the only meta-joke/fan-service moment in the movie. "Deadpool & Wolverine" is essentially a highlight reel of similar quips, and one in particular alludes to the long-gestating MCU "Blade" movie. After Snipes says the line, "There's only one Blade. There's only ever going to be one Blade," Reynolds' Merc with a Mouth turns to camera and raises an eyebrow. It's not entirely clear what this look is supposed to represent, but according to one of the film's editors, this moment was actually a lot more to-the-point in its original incarnation.

Since its announcement in 2019, the MCU "Blade" movie has lost two directors, been subjected to multiple rewrites, and almost saw its star Mahershala Ali walk away from the movie as a result. So, when Wesley Snipes says in "Deadpool & Wolverine" that there's "only ever going to be one Blade," Ryan Reynolds' look to camera is a brief acknowledgement of these issues. Originally, however, it seems this moment was a little more direct. In an interview with io9, "Deadpool & Wolverine" editor Shane Reid explained:

"There was actually a take that we had in there for a while where [Deadpool] sneezed 'Mahershala,' which was really funny. So it would be like, 'There's only ever be one Blade.' And he goes, 'Mahershala!' But I think this is where we all trust Ryan [Reynolds] to know exactly what that character is and what the fans want from Deadpool."

According to Reid, it was Reynolds' choice to take the "Mahershala" sneeze out and replace it with the knowing look to camera. As the editor put it, "As much fourth wall breaking as there is, there's also a lot of restraint from Ryan." Reid went on to praise Reynolds for knowing "when to not give something that feels like it's overindulgent," adding:

"I think he just did a take, whether or not it was Shawn's direction on set or just Ryan, I don't know, but he just did one where he just looked right into the lens. And I think he just felt like that said everything it needed to say, because it allowed you to have your own feeling about it. And I think that's just a class choice."

As far as '90s kids are concerned, Wesley Snipes is the one and only Blade. But whether it's Mahershala Ali or someone else, there will come a time when someone else wears the shades. With that in mind, while it's strange to think of Ryan Reynolds being restrained in a movie that opens with Deadpool desecrating Logan's corpse, it does seem as though he made the right choice in this instance. The upcoming "Blade" movie has already almost lost Ali, so there's no telling what could happen between now and when the movie finally materializes (maybe) in November 2025.

As "Deadpool & Wolverine" director Shawn Levy previously told the New York Times:

"The rule on 'Deadpool' movies is only one character has self-awareness and fourth-wall access. When Wesley as Blade says it, it's only Deadpool who can look into the camera and raise his eyebrows. We left the intent of that eyebrow wiggle somewhat ambiguous: It could mean, 'You're damn right there's only ever going to be one Blade' or it could mean, 'Oh boy, who's going to tell him?'"

If the new "Blade" continues to face issues and ends up being scrapped in favor of a different approach (which seems like a possibility given the challenges the movie has faced thus far), then this particular moment from "Deadpool & Wolverine" will have aged better than if the "Mahershala" sneeze was left in. Unfortunately, I don't think the same can be said for Snipes' Blade send-off, which much like "The Flash" with Michael Keaton's Batman, gave us a shell of the character we first met in the '90s.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" is currently playing in theaters.