On October 22, Director Tim Miller up and quit Deadpool 2, reportedly over creative conflicts with star Ryan Reynolds. It turns out part of the conflict might have been the casting of Cable, who’s the closest thing to a partner the the Merc with a Mouth has.
Apparently, Reynolds, the sequel’s screenwriters, and even 20th Century Fox preferred a mild budget action-comedy, whereas Tim Miller was hoping to boost the production value in Deadpool 2. Turns out, it wasn’t just budget and tone that caused a rift: Miller wanted to cast Kyle Chandler as Cable, and Reynolds wasn’t down.
Miller might have been riveted by Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights, but the rest of Team Deadpool weren’t convinced. Although we all still have clear eyes and full hearts (can’t lose), Chandler doesn’t really ooze “Cable,” Rob Liefeld’s mercenary cyborg from the future and son of the X-Men leader Cyclops. But perhaps these other popular choices do.
4) Stephen Lang
Beginning his career on Broadway before looking hard as a mofo in Avatar, Stephen Lang is a popular choice by comic fans to play Cable. He’s even championed the idea on his own Instagram page. While he doesn’t have the frame of a Mack truck (blame Liefeld’s signature style in an excessive decade in comics), Lang’s got the attitude and look down pat, as if Cable jumped right out of the page.
3) Patrick Warburton
With a deep voice and sharp comedic chops to rival Ryan Reynolds, Patrick Warburton is almost too easy to imagine as Cable. His comedic range can really highlight the absurdity of the character while still satisfying the visual look required.
And just imagine Warburton and Reynolds together. Ted did already.
2) Ken Watanabe
If Deadpool 2 wants to parody superhero movies, then it’d be ballsy if they took Hollywood’s white-washing to task. Just because Deadpool isn’t a “social justice warrior” (though he kills bad guys, and is a warrior, so …) doesn’t mean he doesn’t have something to say. He’s Deadpool. When does he shut up?
Japanese actor Ken Watanabe has a seasoned look that’s made him a favorite in genre pictures like Batman Begins and Godzilla. But he’s rarely shown his action chops, making Cable a surprisingly great mold for Watanabe to fill. Check Watanabe out in the 2013 remake of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, and don’t tell me can’t be Cable.
1) Keira Knightley
A throwaway joke by Deadpool in the post-credits scene has become a legitimate candidate for the futuristic mutant. Photoshop artist BossLogic posted on Twitter a mock-up of Knightley as Cable that immediately went viral. Gotta say, Knightley is looking pretty hardcore.
Although when the Chandler rumor hit the web, BossLogic also took up the challenge of making the actor looking like Cable. Gotta admit, it’s not half-bad.
