Four Josh Brolin Movies That Make Him Perfect For Cable

The news of Josh Brolin‘s casting as Cable in the sequel to Deadpool and films earned a tepid reception from fans. Other actors being considered for the part included Viggo Mortensen, Michael Shannon, and Brad Pitt. Brolin was a shocking announcement on Wednesday afternoon, to say the least.

The common reaction to the news has been very little reaction at all. Brolin appears to fit the bill of Nathan Summers, the metal-armed time traveling companion who will be tasked with tolerating Deadpool’s nonstop motor mouth.

Still, there is reason to be more excited than most fans appear to be in the immediate wake of Brolin’s casting.

On the following slides, we highlight four films from Brolin’s resume which make him perfect for the part of Cable.

Gangster Squad

Gangster Squad is a noir film which saw Josh Brolin assembling a team of misfits to take on a criminal threat.

In the film, he played the no nonsense Sgt. John O’Mara, tasked with bringing together characters played by Ryan Gosling, Michael Peña, and other actors who played sillier roles next to Brolin’s stern portrayal.

The scenes which put Brolin opposite Sean Penn’s Mickey Cohen are the best example of why Brolin fits the bill for Cable. Despite Cohen’s inability to take O’Mara’s threats of incarceration seriously, Brolin continued to play the stern role of enforcer as he tracked down Penn’s character after troubling losses and threats of further disaster.

MIB 3

Men in Black 3 saw Brolin take on the challenging task of playing a character best known for being portrayed be Tommy Lee Jones. Fortunately for the film which needed every positive quality it could acquire, Brolin nailed the younger portrayal of Agent K as he starred beside Will Smith. 

The Men in Black franchise knows Smith’s character is comedic relief for its already comedy-packed films. It was Agent K who would come in with dry, frustrated, worn out humor to pack the extra comedic punch. It’s all similar to how Cable will have to tackle every conversation with Deadpool as he tries to put up with his foul mouth and sarcastic quips while the two try to save the world.

No Country For Old Men

Brolin’s role in No Country For Old Men is not one which reflects character traits of Nathan Summers but shows off Brolin’s acting chops.

In No Country, Brolin plays a poor man who lives with his wife in a trailer until he comes across a drug deal which is going wrong in the desert. From here, his world is all but flipped upside down as he becomes hurled into a world unknown to himself.

It’s not the movie which earned Brolin a nod at the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, that honor goes to Milk, but it showcased Brolin’s natural abilities. He was playing a character which required a bit more maturity than his age brought to the table at the time and he managed to help craft an iconic film alongside Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem.

Sicario

If any film in Josh Brolin’s career captured the actor in the midst of raw, gritty, violent action — it’s Sicario. 

While Sicario didn’t force Brolin to whip his body into super hero shape or even handle the choreography of an action sequence a Deadpool movie will, it is the best display of the actor being tossed into mayhem and come out bruised, sweaty, and ready for more.

In Sicario, Brolin played Matt Graver, a leader within a government task force bent on taking down drug traffickers and the U.S. and Mexico border. Coaching Emily Blunt’s Kate Macer is an added bonus as Cable will have to reckon with the childish attitude of Deadpool during battle sequences.