Brad Pitt As Cable In ‘Deadpool 2’? Concept Art Fuels Further Speculation

Deadpool was the runaway smash hit that no one expected. Marvel properties have, for the most part, been hit or miss at FOX outside of the X-Men franchise, and even that franchise has its sore spots (X-Men: The Last Stand, anyone?). With Deadpool 2 in the works, buzz and speculation have been running rampant ever since. While there certainly may be a bit of pressure for the sequel to replicate (and possibly surpass) the success of its predecessor, the other thing on many fans’ minds is the appearance of Cable in the next installment, and who will suit up as Nathan Summers.

There has been concept art circulating the web, showing Brad Pitt as the cyborg from the future, and its got the wheels turning as far as further speculation is concerned. While Brad Pitt has been facing the aftermath of his divorce from Angelina Jolie and the subsequent fallout from the dissolution of that marriage and relationship, perhaps suiting up as Cable may provide the Hollywood A-lister with a much-needed distraction (and an excuse to pummel some bad guys).

@VanCityReynolds THIS needs to happen!!!!

— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) March 24, 2017

While Perez Hilton and many other commenters seem to agree that seeing Brad Pitt in action as Cable is something that needs to happen, one has to also wonder about the logistics of such a thing happening in the first place. Brad Pitt is 53, and the concept art seems to suggest a Fight Club/Troy-era Brad Pitt, a point in time when he was able to pack on the pounds of muscle with relative ease due to his younger age. With Hugh Jackman finally hanging up his claws as Wolverine at 48 because of the physical stress it put on his body, it’s somewhat hard to imagine an older Brad Pitt putting his body through that kind of stress for the role.

Collider reports that while there was initial interest on both sides for Brad Pitt to star as Cable, there is no definitive answer yet either way. Collider goes on to say that Brad Pitt has moved on and may have his hands full with the World War Z sequel if it gets the green light from Paramount. It seems, for now, that the possibility is being left open-ended.

While no one could have predicted the success of the first Deadpool film, after grossing $783 million worldwide (even with the R-rated tag), it’s safe to say that by now, everyone knows that they’ve caught lightning in a bottle and that they have a formidable franchise on their hands. That said, it seems that the studio and everyone involved with the project is taking their time with this endeavor, and, while that will mean a longer wait for fans, it could also mean that they are taking their time to make sure that they get everything right, and that could ultimately translate into a better product for everyone to enjoy.

Aside from Brad Pitt as Cable, there have been other actors rumored for the role, including Michael Shannon (Man of Steel) and David Harbour (Stranger Things). The latest rumors indicate that Michael Shannon is currently the frontrunner for the role at the time of this writing. An interesting tidbit to note is the fact that if Michael Shannon were to take the role, he would be jumping from the DC cinematic universe to Marvel — a little extra something to add to the longtime rivalry between the comic book titans and their respective studios.

Whether Brad Pitt, Michael Shannon, or anyone else gets cast as Cable, what we do know is that Ryan Reynolds is still very much in an active role in terms of both starring in Deadpool 2 and handling aspects behind the scenes. It has also been confirmed that John Wick co-director David Leitch has been tapped to sit in the directors’ chair this go-round.

So, while the casting of Cable may very well still be up in the air, the project itself is in good hands moving forward.

[Featured Image by Tim P. Whitby/Stringer/Getty Images]