In a stunning conclusion to what has become one of the most compelling off-screen Hollywood dramas of 2017 yet, Josh fucking Brolin has swooped past the likes of Michael Shannon and David Harbour to snag the role of mutant bounty hunter Cable in Deadpool 2. THR broke the news this afternoon, reporting that Brolin’s deal is for four movies.
For a more in-depth look at Cable’s comic book backstory, you can revisit our March write-up on the then-likely casting of former frontrunner Michael Shannon (Midnight Special, Nocturnal Animals, Boardwalk Empire). And if you’re thinking, “Wait, hasn’t Josh Brolin already been cast in at least one other comic book movie already?” you’re right, he has.
Part of what makes Brolin’s casting so surprising is that he’s already taken on the role of Marvel Studios’ main cosmic villain, Thanos. First appearing via motion capture in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the actor has already shot most, if not all of his part in next year’s Avengers: Infinity War. Luckily, for continuity’s sake, Fox’s X-Men films are doing well enough on their own that we’re not likely to see any crossover between those movies and the MCU for another decade or two, at least. So, in short, having both roles shouldn’t be a problem for Brolin.
Brolin’s casting seemingly rounds out Deadpool 2’s cast, with Atlanta’s Zazie Beetz having been chosen to play Domino last month and Ryan Reynolds set to return as the titular foul-mouthed mercenary. John Wick’s David Leitch is set to direct the picture, which is still aiming for a release sometime next year, despite the script not quite being locked down yet (The Martian’s Drew Goddard is said to have last taken a pass at Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick’s latest draft). Production starts in Vancouver in June.
If you haven’t yet watched the expectedly silly Deadpool 2 teaser that played before Logan in theaters, you can check that out here. Be sure to stay tuned to Paste for further updates on the Deadpool sequel and its eventual follow-up, X-Force.