Ryan Reynolds’ inimitable deadpan humor has only gotten more perfect with time. And with the years, there has also been an uptake in the actor’s comedically dysfunctional relationship with his co-stars, especially Wesley Snipes and Hugh Jackman. The tale of Reynolds and Jackman is already an infamous one but when it comes to the deadly vampire slayer, Reynolds’ frictional bond with his Blade: Trinity co-star has been a rarely broached subject.

However, regret still exists on Reynolds’ part for never getting to break the formidable ice with Wesley Snipes. And it must have been bothersome for an actor as universally likable as the Deadpool star to have someone actively disliking him for trying to crack people up on set. For Ryan Reynolds, it was almost as if Snipes was the one who got away.

Wesley Snipes as Blade

Ryan Reynolds Ruminates on His Fraught Bond With Snipes

As difficult and scandalous as the stories may have been about Wesley Snipes on the sets of the Blade trilogy, those are nothing compared to what Ryan Reynolds has to offer. His first-hand accounts of events that unfolded on the sets of Trinity are hilariously golden. The Blade protagonist, who was famously method in his acting, was the epicenter of many jokes and ad-libs. Reynolds later, in an interview with IGN, claimed:

“I only met Blade, and he is a method actor. Say what you want about that style of acting, I have the utmost respect for whatever it takes to get through this process.”

Blade: Trinity (2004)

The picture that Ryan Reynolds paints of his encounters with Wesley Snipes on and off-camera was borderline frightening, if not straight-up scary. And it wasn’t simply Reynolds who attempted to make Snipes break character. Actor/comedian Patton Oswalt and Russian Doll actress, Natasha Lyonne, were all part of it. And all of them, of course, failed.

Ryan Reynolds’ Attempts at Making Snipes Break Character

When the Red Notice actor claimed that Snipes doesn’t like him, the comment was not made in vain. It was the inference of many experiments executed on the sets of Blade: Trinity. Reynolds later revealed in an interview that a dialogue he had delivered off-script (as part of his epiphany that Snipes actually hated him) made it to the final cut of the film.

“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.”

Wesley Snipes in Blade: Trinity

Later, claims about Snipes attempting to strangle director, David S. Goyer, put a strain on the actor’s reputation in the industry. In an interview with The Guardian, he was given an opportunity to clear the air about the alleged rumors and he claimed,

“Let me tell you one thing. If I had tried to strangle David Goyer, you probably wouldn’t be talking to me now. A black guy with muscles strangling the director of a movie is going to jail, I guarantee you.”

The Blade IP has now been picked up by Marvel Studios for a reboot with Mahershala Ali in the lead. The project has consistently been hitting roadblocks ever since its development was announced in 2019. Recently, Bassam Tariq stepped down as director, and Yann Demange was appointed in his place. Michael Starrbury will write the new script after the one by Stacy Osei-Kuffour was rejected by the studio and its lead over creative differences.

Wesley Snipes’ Blade trilogy can now be streamed on Disney+.