Well, we were not expecting this. After months of speculation about who would play Cable—reports even suggested an actor had been chosen—The Hollywood Reporter says Josh Brolin has been tapped to play Cable in Deadpool 2.
Unfamiliar with his name? He’s the “purple man” (per Thor), aka Thanos, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, Brolin is going to show up in two different Marvel projects, which technically aren’t in the same universe. Brolin has reportedly signed a four-movie deal, which means we can likely expect him to appear in the upcoming X-Force.
Brolin’s pick to play Cable comes on the heels of Zazie Beets’ casting of Domino. Ryan Reynolds, of course, is set to reprise his role as the Merc With a Mouth.
Who is Cable?
In the comics, Cable (aka Nathan Summers) is the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor, making him an incredibly powerful mutant. In addition to possessing cybernetic enhancements, his other abilities include telepathy and telekinesis. He’s also a much more serious character, opposing the care-free and reckless attitude of Deadpool, which should make for great juxtaposition onscreen.
Filming for Deadpool 2 is scheduled to kick off this summer, with a release set for early 2018.