Blade rumored to appear in Deadpool 3

Deadpool 3 will boast an appearance by fan-favorite Marvel character Blade, according to the online rumor mill.

The third Deadpool installment‘s ties to past and future Marvel projects have been a source of speculation ever since Marvel Studios (via Disney) acquired the rights to the franchise in 2019. Many fans are convinced that Deadpool 3 will have a major impact on Marvel Cinematic Universe lore – a position seemingly validated by Hugh Jackman joining the sequel’s cast as Wolverine in September 2022.

Director Shawn Levy has also done his part to stoke fans’ excitement, declaring that Deadpool 3 will treat at least one of Jackman’s non-MCU Wolverine outings, Logan, as canon. This seemingly leaves the door open for other cross-continuity hijinks, and aside from several of Jackman’s fellow X-franchise veterans, the likes of Ben Affleck’s Daredevil and Jessica Alba’s Invisible Woman have been put forward as candidates for Deadpool 3 cameos.

It also ties into persistent insider rumblings that Deadpool 3 will lay the groundwork for the sixth Avengers movie, Secret Wars. According to these reports, the TVA from Disney+ series Loki will return in Deadpool 3 to pluck heroes from across the multiverse (including different legacy continuities) to form a team that will later battle Secret Wars’ antagonist, Kang the Conqueror.

Blade rumored to appear in Deadpool 3

Predictably, Marvel Studios has neither confirmed nor denied the Deadpool 3 / Secret Wars buzz. That said, it certainly dovetails nicely with a new rumor courtesy of scooper Daniel Richtman, which claims that Blade will show up in Deadpool 3.

Richtman’s sources didn’t reveal how prominently Blade supposedly factors in proceedings, although the role presumably wouldn’t amount to more than a cameo. Richtman also wasn’t able to clarify whether the version of Blade that will allegedly appear in Deadpool 3 is the original big screen incarnation portrayed by Wesley Snipes, or his MCU successor, played by Mahershala Ali.

Either way, fans’ reaction to Richtman’s report was mixed. Notably, more than one commentator on X expressed concerns that Blade’s inclusion in Deadpool 3 risked putting cameos ahead of the story itself. Meanwhile, on Reddit, the horror-themed superhero’s potential appearance was met with more enthusiasm, although users were divided on whether Snipes or Ali would play the part.

New details about Marvel Studios’ Blade reboot surface

Reports of a Blade cameo in Deadpool 3 come at a time when the Daywalker’s next solo outing is seemingly stuck in development hell. The production – a reboot set within MCU continuity and headlined by Ali – has suffered several delays and key personnel changes since it was 2019, and continues to be dogged by rumors of problems with its screenplay.

Yet sources close to Marvel Studios contend that the production company has taken several steps to turn the Blade reboot around. This allegedly includes committing to a relatively modest, sub-$100 million budget and targeting an R-rating – with director Yann Demange confirming in a recent interview that the latter is indeed true.

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