Ever since Deadpool 2 was confirmed to happen, fans have been looking forward to the appearance of one character from the X-Men Universe – Cable. There have been several reports as to who fits the role best. Actors Stephen Lang, Kyle Chandler, Keira Knightley and — more recently– Michael Shannon have already made the headlines for being among those reportedly considered for the role.
Another name most recently tied to the Deadpool 2 Cable cast rumors is Brad Pitt. According to an exclusive from Collider last week, the Allied actor has been considered to play as the time-travelling mutant but it seems that the 53-year-old actor already has his hands tied with future projects.
A series of concept art started popping online since the report surfaced and although Pitt would look great as Cable in Deadpool 2 , the casting has not been confirmed. Nevertheless, there are already several actors who are thought to be a perfect fit for the role.
Cable, who also goes by his name Nathan Summers, is the son of Scott Summers, a.k.a. X-Men’s Cyclops, and Jean Grey’s clone, Madeline Pryor. He has been a part of the Marvel comics for over a decade but has yet to make his big screen debut.
The role of Cable in the Ryan Reynolds-starred franchise is expected to be big and casting the right actor is paramount to the success of the film. That said, there are certain criteria for picking the right guy to play the part.
As reported by CinemaBlend, Deadpool 2’s Cable needs to be played by an older male actor with a bulky physique, which means that Keira Knightley may have to be crossed off the list. The person should be able to perfectly handle the expected action scenes of Cable. At the same time, the actor should be someone who has a strong presence even without speaking lines, according to ScreenRant.
There could be dozens of actors who fit the bill but here are the top five, aside from those names mentioned above, who will most likely do some justice to the role.
1. Jon Hamm
Being the lead actor of Mad Men for eight years, Jon Hamm has proven himself to excel both in drama and comedy. His most recent action movie appearance was with Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot in Keeping Up With The Joneses. The 46-year-old actor easily makes it to the list because Cable creator, Rob Liefeld, himself mentioned him as his favorite pick .
2. Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has appeared in several comic book flicks including The Walking Dead , in which fans have come to love his excellent portrayal of the ruthless Negan. He played The Comedian in Watchmen and when he put on that suit, he already looked like Deadpool’s partner.
3. Liam Neeson
The Taken actor also makes it to the list of favorite actors to play Cable in Deadpool 2. Liam Neeson has also fully embraced his action star persona; he has the personality, the attitude and the experience to nail a character like Cable. At the same time, he could be funny, as evidenced in the comedy flicks Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues and A Million Ways to Die in the West , and it would be a gem to see him and Deadpool’s Reynolds exchange hilarious lines with each other.
4. Gerard Butler
Many would agree that Gerard Butler has the look and the body of a compelling Cable. His most iconic role was the brave soldier, King Leonidas, in the epic fantasy film 300. Although most of Butler’s roles were serious, he can, no doubt, be great as a funny character – he may just need to work on hiding his Scottish accent.
5. Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman is known for his role in Hellboy. He has played both the good and bad guy in most of his movies but playing as Cable in Deadpool 2 will add to the list of good guy roles in his resume. More importantly, Perlman’s age and bulky physique make him a good candidate for the role.
Cable’s appearance in Deadpool 2 was teased in the first installment’s post-credits scene. A release date for the sequel has not been set, but filming is scheduled to begin later this year.
[Featured Image by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images]