In 2016, a superhero blockbuster dropped that completely changed the landscape of the genre; proving that not all superheroes have to be as politically correct as Captain America. Deadpool was released after many years of failed attempts, false starts and poor iterations but through the sheer determination of a certain Ryan Reynolds, it finally made it to the big screen last February. Particularly after the lacklustre attempt to bring the character into the cinematic universe in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, many were reluctant to believe a solo outing could really work. The final product however smashed everyone’s expectations.
Deadpool ended 2016 as the sixth highest grossing film of the year ahead of DC’s Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Oscar-winning Suicide Squad and Marvel’s Doctor Strange. 20th Century Fox will be hoping to match or surpass that performance next year with the release of the sequel but it’ll be a tough task to undertake considering the plethora of strong titles on the horizon next year.
Even in the superhero genre it will have to battle against Blank Panther, The New Mutants, Ant-Man and the Wasp, X-Men: Dark Phoenix and the Goliath that is Avengers: Infinity War. That’s not even taking into account the return of The Incredibles, Jurassic World: A Fallen Kingdom which is the sequel to 2015’s 2nd highest grossing film and obviously not forgetting Solo: A Star Wars Story. It’s fair to say Deadpool will have his work cut out if he’s to better last year’s sixth placed finish.
But there is one thing that Deadpool 2 does have in its corner and something that many of the bigger blockbusters tend not to utilise but something that Fox in particular are really good at. And that is a truly spectacular and memorable publicity campaign. Already we’ve had two teaser trailer drops that tease the new movie, neither give absolutely anything away. The teaser “Wet on Wet” has clearly been filmed specifically as an ad campaign, a lot the “Peter Weyland Ted Talk 2023” viral video for Prometheus, and it’s enough to tickle the taste buds without dropping or spoiling any major plot points. Similarly “No Good Deed” which features a certain Stan Lee, has been created specifically for the ad campaign and seemingly separate from the shooting of the actual movie. It’s a truly clever technique that if they continue into next year, I’m convinced will see almost unprecedented buzz ahead of the release date.
It’s not just the teaser trailers that appear to serve no real connection the movie. The official synopsis is positively bobbins:
After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.
What we do know is Josh Brolin will be facing off with Reynold’s Deadpool as the time travelling badass Cable, son of Cyclops, who many have speculated will tie Deadpool into the wider X-Men universe with potential appearances in future titles.
Also, Zazie Beetz is joining the cast as Cable’s partner in crime, Domino while The Strain star Jack Kesy has been cast as another major villain. Rejoining Ryan Reynolds is Wade Wilson’s love interest Vanessa played by Morena Baccarin; Stefan Kapičić and Brianna Hilderbrand are back as Deadpool’s X-Men allies Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead and T.J Miller will reprise his role as Wade’s friend Weasel.
The writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick will also be back but David Leitch will replace director Tim Miller who departed the project due to creative differences. Leitch is famously uncredited for directing Keanu Reeves’ cult favourite John Wick and last Summer’s Atomic Blonde starring Charlize Theron.
All things considered this seems like a sure-fire hit and if it’s any anything like the first outing, it’ll become an instant cult classic.
Deadpool 2 will be in cinemas from the 1st June 2018 in both the UK and the US.