Ryan Reynolds & Wesley Snipes Had a Legendary Feud on The Set of This Forgotten Marvel Movie

During Blade: Trinity’s development, a number of issues arose, including the well-known conflict between the film’s two leads, Ryan Reynolds and Wesley Snipes. One of the first Marvel films, Blade: Trinity (2004), had a great deal of trouble making, mostly because of behavior on the set. However, Deadpool and Wolverine have explicitly addressed the rumored schism between the film’s primary stars, with amusing results.

The making of David S. Goyer’s Blade: Trinity was fraught with conflict. A wildly speculative story claims that Snipes and Goyer’s relationship soured to such an extent that both attempted to have the other fired, which resulted in a violent brawl in which Snipes attempted to choke Goyer.

This led to Blade: Trinity’s infamous CGI eyes scene in which Snipes refused to open his eyes during a scene, forcing Goyer to digitally create Blade’s eyes. While less bombastic, Snipes also feuded with Ryan Reynolds, though this seems to stem from Reynolds’ comedic antics and scene-stealing performance.

Summary

• Blade: Trinity had a tumultuous production due to feuds with Snipes & Reynolds.
• Ryan Reynolds addressed tension with Snipes due to differing acting styles.
• The feud between Reynolds and Snipes was humorously referenced in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Why Ryan Reynolds & Wesley Snipes Had A Feud On Blade: Trinity

Blade: Trinity’s Production Was Notoriously Tumultuous

The rumor that Ryan Reynolds and Wesley Snipes didn’t get along stemmed from their on-set friction during Blade: Trinity, which has since become something of a Hollywood legend. The third Blade movie, released in 2004, was beset by issues behind the scenes that went beyond the typical production setbacks. It was reportedly quite tough to work with Wesley Snipes, who played the title role, during the production.

Several people on the Blade: Trinity set have stated that Snipes would frequently remain in his trailer, avoid talking to director David Goyer, and only interact with the crew via written messages or his assistant. His behavior was so erratic that it caused significant delays and added stress to the production process. This was compounded by the fact Snipes was a method actor and stayed in character as Blade throughout. Consequently, the notes he would leave for Goyer would each be signed “From Blade.”

At the time, Ryan Reynolds, who portrayed Hannibal King, was comparatively inexperienced in a prominent role like this. Frequently, he had to handle sequences by himself, particularly when Snipes wasn’t there or wasn’t cooperative. Reynolds’ humorous attitude and improvised technique stood in sharp contrast to Snipes’ rigorous and dramatic portrayal of Blade. The two allegedly became more tense as a result of their different acting philosophies and work ethics, especially as Reynolds gained increasing attention.

Numerous crew members saw the tense encounters between Snipes and Reynolds, and the tension on set was evident. Reynolds maintained a professional manner, but the issue worsened to the point where many assumed the two actors were involved in a personal quarrel. This perception was fueled by anecdotes from those who worked on the film and various media reports that painted a picture of a divided set.

What Ryan Reynolds Has Said About Wesley Snipes

Ryan Reynolds Addressed the Rumors In 2004

Reynolds discussed the conflict between him and Snipes during Blade: Trinity in a 2004 interview with IGN, blaming Snipes’ method acting style for a large portion of it. Reynolds said Snipes would always stay in character, implying that he never really met Snipes but rather Blade. This made it difficult to determine whether the tension was caused by Snipes or by the dynamics of the characters. As for Reynolds, he says he has “utmost respect” for Snipes and his performance, but the tension was “overblown.”

Reynolds also discussed a scene whereby his character remarks on Blade’s distaste for him and how it seemed like a very serious occasion: There’s a moment in the movie where I look up at Jessica and I swear to God, I didn’t even know the cameras were rolling anymore and I say, ‘He hates me, doesn’t he?’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah.’ I’m just saying this about my relationship as Ryan Reynolds to this guy, and it works. The ad libs are just born of that. There’s another one where I do a dime store psychoanalysis of him where I say, ‘You ever thought about sitting down and talking with someone, getting in touch with your inner child, and also you might want to try blinking once in a while.’ He just looks at me like he’s gonna turn me into a** pulp…

Whether the conflict was between Blade and Hannibal King or Reynolds and Snipes, the turbulent production has gained notoriety. It is difficult to determine how much of Snipes’ contempt for Reynolds was real as a result. However, Deadpool & Wolverine made a funny allusion to this and seemed to fix it.

Ryan Reynolds & Wesley Snipes Feud Is Squashed by Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine Directly Addressed the Actors’ Feud

One of Deadpool’s signature meta-retorts addressed the enmity between Reynolds and Snipes following Snipes’ return as Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine. It was particularly shocking to see Snipes back on screen after putting up a strong defines several months before. Along with a number of other early/alternative Marvel film characters, the elderly Blade makes an appearance in the film as a member of the hero troupe residing inside the Void.

Blade mentions that he doesn’t like the titular antihero as Deadpool tries to get the group together to take on Cassandra Nova. Deadpool casually responds, “You never liked me.” This alludes directly to the conflict that exists between the performers as well as between their personas in Blade: Trinity.

The fact Snipes returned to play the famed Day walker in a Reynolds-led project suggests that both actors have moved on from their feud and have even become prepared to joke about it in Deadpool & Wolverine.

This was further confirmed during Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine Hall H panel on Thursday night of San Diego Comic-Con. Following a screening of the film, Reynolds brought out a number of cameo actors who reprised their Marvel roles in the movie. When introducing Wesley Snipes, Reynolds specifically called him, “My friend.”

The introduction is the final nail in the coffin of this particular Marvel movie feud. So, whatever happened while filming Blade: Trinity is apparently in the past, and the two actors have moved forward to appear together in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Blade: Trinity

In Blade: Trinity, Wesley Snipes’ Day walker returns one final time to fight Dracula himself. This time, Eric Brooks is accompanied by his friend Whistler’s daughter Abigail (Jessica Biel) and the former vampire Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds), who work together as the vampire-hunting team “The Day stalkers” to stop Danica Talos (Parker Posey) and end the war between humans and vampires once and for all.

Director: David S. Goyer

Release Date: December 8, 2004

Runtime: 123minutes

Upcoming MCU Movies	Release Date
Deadpool & Wolverine	July 26, 2024
Captain America: Brave New World	February 14, 2025
Thunderbolts*	May 5, 2025
The Fantastic Four	July 25, 2025
Blade	November 7, 2025
Avengers 5	May 1, 2026
Avengers: Secret Wars	May 7, 2027

Why Wesley Snipes Has CGI Eyes in One Blade: Trinity Scene

In Blade: Trinity, Wesley Snipes used CGI eyes for a single, fleeting scene. The origin of the CGI eyes in Blade has a fascinating tale. Wesley Snipes played the title vampire hunter in three films, including the action-horror Blade: Trinity, which was released in 2004. The movie made $131 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo), which was a respectable amount of money, but critics criticized it for falling short of the high bar established by the first two films. Blade: Trinity ended the Blade series and was Wesley Snipes’s last appearance as the superhero from Marvel Comics.

Numerous issues plagued the 2004 film, including the plot, the pacing, and, of course, the computer graphics. This was all reportedly a result of the on-set issues between Snipes and director David S. Goyer. Goyer had written the previous two Blade movies, and Blade: Trinity was his first time directing a Blade movie. There have long been rumors and stories of Wesley Snipes’ bad behavior on the set of Blade: Trinity, and after the movie’s release, Snipes sued New Line Cinema and Goyer over complaints about his salary and reduced screen time. The seemingly unnecessary CGI effect demonstrates just how serious this bad behavior was for the movie’s production. 

Summary

• Wesley Snipes’ bad behavior on the set of Blade: Trinity, including his on-set tension with director David S. Goyer, led to a decrease in production quality, including the use of unnecessary CGI.
• The strained relationship between Snipes and Goyer, along with last-minute script changes and a rushed production, ultimately led to the downfall of Blade: Trinity and prevented the creation of a Blade 4.
• The Blade CGI eyes in Blade: Trinity are widely regarded as one of the worst superhero movie effects ever, but they are not the only example of poorly executed CGI in the superhero genre, with other films like Spawn, Cat woman, and Fantastic Four also facing criticism for their digital effects.

On-Set Tension to Blame for Blade’s CGI Eyes

Numerous reports have surfaced on the ridiculous production issues that plagued Blade: Trinity, with a large portion of the information originating from Patton Oswalt, the actor who plays Hedges. Since many of Snipes’ sequences were filmed with his stand-in, Oswalt has said that Snipes would spend the majority of his time in his trailer and would only emerge when it came time for his close-ups. Many have stated that Snipes and Goyer did not get along, starting with Snipes’s insistence that Goyer not even be directed. According to Oswalt, Snipes even charged Goyer with racism.

It got to the point where Snipes would only leave Post-it notes with the signature “From Blade” on them, and would no longer engage with Goyer. Snipes has denied most rumors about his on-set behavior, but he admitted to this one, albeit only to an extent. However, he hasn’t commented on the Blade CGI eyes in Blade: Trinity (via HuffPost), which is the most bizarre story ever to come out of the Blade films. The now-infamous morgue scene at the end of the movie demonstrates just how bad it was.

Viewers have noted that it’s obvious in one scene that Blade’s eyes are momentarily created with CGI. This happens when Blade is thought to be dead, and he suddenly opens his eyes in the morgue. Except, according to Goyer, Snipes didn’t open his eyes (via A.V. Club). Supposedly, Snipes didn’t want to open his eyes because he was angry with Goyer and didn’t want to cooperate. So instead of pushing the matter, it was solved by just putting the Blade CGI eyes over his eyelids. As a result, it’s no surprise that Blade 4 never happened.