‘Deadpool 2’ Casts Josh Brolin As Cable, But Ryan Reynolds Calls Him Out On It

Deadpool 2 moves forward with a new casting notice, giving fans Josh Brolin as Cable in the much anticipated Marvel sequel, but the franchise star, Ryan Reynolds, may not be entirely on board with this news. More likely, however, Reynolds is using his own special brand of humor to welcome Brolin into the Deadpool family. Set to play a villain straight from the Deadpool comic book source material, Josh has his work cut out for him in the upcoming sequel, as he takes on Ryan’s lewd, sex hungry superhero.

Ryan Reynolds Shares His Thoughts On Josh Brolin’s Deadpool 2 Casting

Josh Brolin’s casting is already stirring up some controversy among fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and, as The Hollywood Reporter shares, they’re not alone in questioning this move by Deadpool 2 producers. Ryan Reynolds is one of those criticizing Josh’s casting as Cable.

“The f—, Fox! You can’t play 2 characters in the same universe!! Josh Brolin was in Sicario and I was in Sabrina The Teenage Witch,” Reynolds tweeted.

The Deadpool 2 star’s tweet was made in jest, teasing Brolin over the criticism fans have already expressed. The problem isn’t with Brolin himself, but with the fact that Josh already plays a Marvel villain, set to star in Avengers: Infinity War as Thanos.

Josh also played Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and briefly in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Brolin’s casting as both Cable and Thanos isn’t unprecedented in the Marvel universe. Previously in 2011, Reynolds played the hero in the poorly received Green Lantern.

Further complicating matters, Deadpool 2 is set to be released in 2018, the same year that Avengers: Infinity War will hit theaters, though there’s no set date for the Ryan Reynolds fueled sequel. Avengers: Infinity War is scheduled for a May 4, 2018 theatrical premiere.

Who Is Cable And How Does He Fit Into Deadpool 2?

Cable has a convoluted history in Marvel comic books and, even as The Hollywood Reporter tries to lay it out for the uninitiated, the character’s birth and life is still rather confusing and lacking in continuity. In 1990’s New Mutants No. 87, Cable was first introduced by Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld and was a tough, strict adult tasked with taking charge of the younger X-Men mutants. In this first incarnation, Cable soon became a fan favorite, whose dark past only served to endear him that much more to Marvel fans.

Speaking of that past, it was later revealed that Cable was the offspring of Cyclops and his then-wife Madelyne Pryor (who would later turn out to be a Jean Grey clone). This new story arc would establish that Cable is actually the baby in 1986’s Uncanny X-Men No. 201, who was ultimately sent into the far future for his protection.

The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, a 1994 miniseries, later established that Cyclops and Jean joined Cable in the far future, where they raised their son in safety. From there, Cable left the X-Force series and was given a solo series, which was short-lived and ultimately led to Cable joining the Deadpool comic books.

This is no doubt where Deadpool 2 will pick up. In their comic book team-ups, Cable often played the straight man to Deadpool’s joker. Most of the time, Cable was seen as the good guy, trying to ignore his ingrained cynicism, but thwarted by the often violent antics of Deadpool. This kind of action-oriented slapstick will work well for Ryan Reynolds and Josh Brolin, particularly since Reynolds has already established himself as Marvel’s R-rated playboy with a teenage boy’s sense of humor.

Brolin may not start out with villainous intentions in Deadpool 2, but, as the lead character’s practical jokes wear Cable down, it may not be long before the two Marvel characters are at each other’s throats.

[Featured Image by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]