Everything We Know About the 'Deadpool' Sequel

When Deadpool hit theaters in 2016, fans were elated. A passion project that almost withered in development hell had made it to the big screen and exceeded expectations. The second-best part: It wasted no time teasing more. "The sequel? We're gonna have Cable. Amazing character: bionic arm, time travel -- we have no idea who we're gonna cast yet, but it could be anybody," said the Merc with a Mouth, in a post-credits tag. "We just need a big guy with a flat top. Could be Mel Gibson, Dolph Lundgren, Keira Knightley -- she's got range! Who knows?"

Two years, $783 million at the box office, and several Ryan Reynolds tweets later, a few more secrets have dribbled out. Here’s everything we know about Deadpool's next highly anticipated installment -- a compendium we’ll update as more info becomes available.

When? Sooner than you think: The movie, maybe titled The Second Coming or Playtime, arrives May 18. So hold onto your chimichangas.

Since the writers behind the first movie, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, came back to pen the sequel, it was looking like the first movie's director, Tim Miller, would also return. He did. But only briefly -- leaving in the development phase because of "mutual creative differences." It wasn't long, fortunately, before David Leitch filled the void, a move that has many fans excited because of the top-tier stuntman-turned-helmer's involvement with John Wick.

From 20th Century Fox: "After surviving a near-fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor -- finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover." 

Promising! Guy Fieri better cameo.

On the acting side, you'll be unsurprised to see the return of Reynolds (Deadpool), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), and Stefan Kapicic (Colossus). More surprising: Karan Soni (the cab driver, Dopinder) and Leslie Uggams (Blind Al) will also be back.

Despite recent sexual assault accusations, it looks like the embattled comedian will stay in the movie as Weasel. "We're in the final editing," producer Lauren Shuler Donner told Rotten Tomatoes at the beginning of 2018, when asked if there would be any All the Money in the World-esque reshoots. "I don't think so." Miller's fate in the rest of the franchise is even less clear, Shuler Donner said. "That's a whole studio thing... I don't know."

The biggest addition to the original cast is Brolin, playing the time-traveling, telepathic, and suuuuuper gray mutant Cable. The character has gotten several different storylines in Marvel comics over the years, but he's most famous as the very serious and badass son of Cyclops, the protector of Hope Summers, and the first leader of the mutant strike team X-Force. As such, he'll likely join 'Pool from the future to prevent an apocalypse and act as a frenemy or straight man of sorts. (In other words, he's gonna get roasted.)

Marvel fans should be excited to see the big-screen introduction of Domino, a mutant who has luck-altering powers. Trying to defuse a bomb in two seconds? Or hoping to run through heavily guarded enemy territory without being nicked by a bullet? Basically, you want her on your team. She'll be brought to life by Beetz, one of the breakout stars from FX's Atlanta. Said the writers of the actress: "In the read and in the test she went toe-to-toe with Ryan and that's not an easy task, he's such a brilliant actor. She kept face with him and that's reason enough to see how that plays out over the course of the next movie and franchise." To prime the Domino pump, the character's getting a new comic ahead of the movie.

You might recognize Kesy as The Strain's goth-rocker Gabriel Bolivar or as the douchey hustler Roller from TNT's Claws. In the new Deadpool, he's been cast as "a major villain," though details are scant. Everyone's best guess has the actor playing Black Tom Cassidy, a mutant nemesis who's been known to wield a shillelagh, fire concussive energy blasts, and manipulate plant life -- all of which sounds perfect for Kesy, who's known for playing weird and creepy characters.

Last summer, when news spread of the Japanese actress joining the sequel project, the details of her role were shrouded in mystery. (The only thing Deadpool's creative team let slip was that it was a "key role.") Of course, that didn't stop fans from speculating; one of the most popular theories so far has Kutsuna playing Armor, aka Hisako Ichiki, a mutant with the ability to envelop her body with a nearly impenetrable psionic exoskeleton.

Though Dennison is yet another actor in a top-secret role, the hilarious Hunt for the Wilderpeople star will surely be a comedic asset. Based on the most recent Deadpool teaser, below, he might also have pyrokinetic powers. Nerdist thinks we could be looking at a young version of Pyro, Rusty Collins, Match, or Thunderbird.

In Marvel's comics, Baccarin's character, Vanessa, isn't just Deadpool's chief love interest; she's also an impressive shape-shifter, aka Copycat. Sadly, the actress has remained tight-lipped about how closely the sequel will hew to the source material, only telling CinemaBlend that she'd like to see it happen: "I would love to see the evolution of [Copycat], and how [Vanessa] becomes that. I also think it's very interesting to see the relationship with her and Wade after the whole thing. His whole demeanor changing. And just how they continue their relationship."

Based on that kooky Bob Ross teaser, the movie seems intent on keeping its irreverence, boisterous sense of spectacle, and love of breaking the fourth wall. Tonally, you're probably in for something similar to the first, but you're bound to get even more wordplay, explosions, car stunts, and toaster ovens. It's unclear precisely what's going to happen, as many of the plot details and villains are still under wraps, but there should be a feeling of general expansion, as this installment introduces Cable and works toward setting up Drew Goddard's X-Force movie.

According to producer Simon Kinberg, the sequel will also have a lot to say about sequels in general: "I think Deadpool 2 will comment on anything that’s happening in movies today, especially in superhero movies," he said at a recent Television Critics Association panel. "The sort of glut or saturation of these movies and the proliferation of sequels is definitely something we’ll play around with."

Following Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox, many worried about the fate of the Deadpool franchise's R-rating. (A profane superhero doesn't exactly scream... Mickey Mouse. So would that mean Wade would become the Merc With the... Manners?) Fortunately, Disney CEO Bob Iger seems open to mixing the bad with the good. "[Deadpool] clearly has been and will be Marvel branded. But we think there might be an opportunity for a Marvel-R brand for something like Deadpool," the chief toldTHR. "As long as we let the audiences know what's coming, we think we can manage that fine."

He'd probably bristle at "little," but yeah. As you'll see above, he's already up to no good. Stay tuned, and follow Reynolds, for more.

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