Marvel made some serious waves at Comic-Con over the weekend, announcing a huge slate of new projects that will take the MCU through Phase Four and into Phase Five. Among the buzziest was "Blade," which will be rebooted with Oscar winner Mahershala Ali in the title role. But what does the former Daywalker, Wesley Snipes, think of being replaced?

It turns out that Snipes is actually "all good" with the news, revealing in a new statement that he was "surprised" by Marvel's decision, but is happy to have the "beautiful and talented" Ali follow in his footsteps. The actor also saved a special shout-out for his fans, saying that their "incredible outpouring of love is overwhelming."

Snipes's full statement said:

“To all the DAYWALKERS losing their minds right now, chillaaxx,” he said in a statement provided to EW by his rep. “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. 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.”

Ali's casting comes nearly 15 years after the release of the last "Blade" flick, 2004's "Blade: Trinity," which co-starred Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel. As recently as 2016, Snipes had been hopeful that a fourth "Blade" feature would be made, though that project never materialized.

In an interview with Fandango, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige revealed that Ali himself approached the studio to pitch himself as the new Blade. The acclaimed actor received an immediate yes, according to the exec.

It's not entirely clear yet when "Blade" is expected to hit theaters, though Feige told Collider that the flick will be part of Phase Five, not Phase Four, pegging it for release sometime in 2022. Stay tuned to see if it sticks to that schedule.

[via: Entertainment Weekly]