Twentieth Century Fox took a huge risk in adapting Marvel’s Deadpool into a feature film, not only because the Rob Liefeld-created character isn’t well known, but because it was a hard “R” rating. It paid off in a huge way, being one of the most successful movies of the year. The movie was a passion project of both star Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller, which was eventually given the green light when a promo video went viral.
While everyone expected a sequel to be fast-tracked, and to go smoothly, Miller has exited the project citing “creative differences” with Reynolds. For the duo to have been on such the same page initially, it’s shocking to find out that Miller will no long return for a sequel. Now, this leaves Fox and Reynolds without a director, so who can quickly come in and keep the film from derailing? Mashable may have the answer, and it’s a doozy.
According to the site, John Wick‘s David Leitch (who is listed as uncredited in IMDb) is the frontrunner to direct Deadpool 2. The site adds that Leitch has history with all of the parties involved, including Reynolds, as he was the action coordinator on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which introduced the actor as Wade Wilson. And John Wick, the Keanu Reeves 2014 cult hit, was extraordinarily popular with the genre crowd that is the foundation of Deadpool’s fan base.
Leitch has also worked with Fox and Marvel before, performing stunts for Blade, Daredevil and Fight Club, one of several films in which he was Brad Pitt’s stunt double. Perhaps more notably, Leitch has worked on action movies that have pushed the technological envelope, such as 300 and The Matrix sequels.
In regards to Miller’s exit from the sequel, The Wrap reports that Miller wanted “Bloodline” star Kyle Chandler to play Cable, though Reynolds did not and that the studio, ultimately, backed its marketable star. (Spoiler: Reynolds and the studio made a huge mistake as Chandler is an elite actor.)
With a January 12, 2018 release targeted by the studio, they better move quickly. It’s a real bummer to see Miller exit, especially after he and Reynolds collaborated on one of the best comic adaptation in years. But, Leitch is an exciting name that deserves this breakout opportunity. More than anything, I just want to see Cable in action…
