After Wesley Snipes played Eric Brooks in a trilogy of R-rated films, Sticky Fingaz took over the role for a series set on the now-defunct Spike TV. Created by David S. Goyer — the same scribe behind the trilogy — the series was a direct continuation of the film franchise, and only ended up running 13 episodes before being pulled due to the costs associated with the show. While the hip-hop artist only got to appear as the Daywalker in one season, he wishes Mahershala Ali nothing but the best in his upcoming reboot with Marvel Studios.
“Big up to the new Blade. I know he’s going to do an incredible job,” Sticky tells ComicBook.com. “He’s a great actor. It’s a lot of physical requirements and he’ll probably live up to the task. So blessings to him and pick up to him. And I give him the same respect that Wesley gave me.”
We then asked the rapper if he had any advice for Ali getting into the role.
“Man, just do your thing, man. Just, be honest. Hit the thing, just like they say with 2Pac. Say he got stuck in the road juice, he left in set, he was still Bishop. When I was doing Blade, I was transfixed. I was one of my favorite actors, Giovanni Ribisi. He’s a character actor, and he’s on set even at lunchtime, he’s still in character. I’m a ninja, so I’m still Blade in real life. So yeah, just engulf it and just go for it and make it come to life, man.”
Ali’s officially gotten an endorsement from both of the actors who’ve played Blade in live-action.
“To all the DAYWALKERS losing their minds right now, chillaaxx. Although the news comes as a surprise, it’s ALL GOOD. Such is the ‘business’ of ‘entertainment!’ Much peace to the MCU crew – always a fan,” Snipes previously said to ComicBook.com. “Honor and respect to the grandmaster Stan. Congratulations and Salaam to Mahershala Ali, a beautiful and talented artist whose expressions I look forward to experiencing for many years to come. Inshallah, we will someday work together. Most importantly to my loyal fans, the incredible outpouring of love is overwhelming. I am grateful for the never-ending support. So, ‘nah fret nah worry, it’s not de end of de story.’ Welcome to the Daywalker Klique.”
All 13 episodes of Blade: The Series are now streaming on Tubi. Marvel’s Blade reboot has yet to set a release date.
What characters are you hoping to see pop up alongside the MCU version of the character? Let us know your thoughts either in the comment section below or by hitting up our writer @AdamBarnhardt on Twitter to chat all things MCU!