There are those who are still coming to terms with the fact that Deadpool 2 won’t include director Tim Miller at the helm, a bombshell that no one seemed to expect after the first project went so swimmingly. Now that there’s a sudden vacancy, the studio is casting a wide net for the job, and there are several emerging names up for the position.
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Those names include David Leitch in the lead position (via Deadline), but Drew Goddard and Magnus Martens have also popped up in discussions. Leitch is most known for his work with Chad Stahelski on the original John Wick starring Keanu Reeves. The film became a surprise hit for Lionsgate and will be getting a sequel next year.
As for Goddard, his most recent work includes writing and executive producing the Oscar Nominated The Martian starring Matt Damon, which he also scored a nomination for best-adapted screenplay. He also executive produced 10 Cloverfield Lane, Daredevil, Lost, and the upcoming The Defenders for Netflix.
Magnus Martens has worked mostly in television, but his directorial credits include Agents of SHIELD, Power, 12 Monkeys, and the excellently reviewed Luke Cage.
All three are worthy candidates, but it would seem to wholly depend on which directors vision best incorporates with star Ryan Reynolds, as that seems to be the biggest source of friction between Reynolds and Miller. According to sources close to the project, Miller wanted to use the original film’s success to increase the scope of not only the storyline but the film’s budget overall. Reynolds and fellow writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick instead wanted to follow the outline paved by the first film, eschewing a bigger budget for a focus on the grittier tone and humor.
That rift eventually led to Miller exiting the project, and if FOX is going to bring someone else in, they will likely need to find a director with a similar vision for the franchise.
Deadpool 2 is tentatively scheduled for March 2, 2018.
